Uncanny X-men: The Tainted Rose
by maxdacool
Summary: This story takes place before "The Trial of Jean Grey" and recounts Madelyn Pryor's psychotic plan to destroy her husband once and for all. (R&R please. I'd really appreciate it.)
1. Prelude

Prelude: "Now Now Husband"

"Here is yet another of, former xman and mutant rights activist, cyclops 'mutant revolution.' When asked about the specifics of scott summers break out from prison, Maria hill denied a comment saying that shield had the situation under control. But do they really? Does shield know what's best for us? Should be putting ours and our children's safety in their hands?! How much more is it going to take to catch this terrorist and how many more will have to die before he is apprehended?" A reporter says as the glow of the tv fills an otherwise dark hotel room. In the bed across from it, two bodies lay intertwined. One female, laying up straight in the bed, naked and watching the tv with intense focus. The other male, lying curled up, kissing the woman's body and paying no attention to the tv. He was also naked and showering the woman with affection. She was not reciprocating. Her focus was on the report. Her face almost looked amused at the ignorance of it. "Criminal? That's an over statement. Jean grey swallows an entire solar system and she gets a sympathetic plea from her xmen friends. Scott summers kills one man and suddenly he's a terrorist. I mean I want to see the man go down but not like this. It's pathetic. It's so unjust. He should be suffering. Don't you agree?" She asked the man. He doesn't respond. He just continues to kiss the woman up and down. She scowls and grabs his face with one hand, moving it so that his gaze meets hers. "I asked you a question." She says angrily. A glimmer of red ignites in her green eyes like a spark of flame and the man answers. "Yes Madelyn. He deserves to suffer if the worst possible way."  
She smiles satisfied and takes her hand off of him. "Good boy. Now go jump off the hotel balcony. Thank you for a splendid evening dear." The man smiles and gets up out of the bed. He walks over to the balcony door and open it. A gust of cold wind blows in. He walks out onto the balcony. Madelyn pulls the covers up over her chest and watches with a smirk as the man slings one leg over the railing and the other and then... Well the rest is self-explanatory. A woman's scream can be heard from the street below and Madelyn cringes. "Ugh what a ruckus." She gets up and closed the glass door. Then she turns her attention to the screen where Scott's face is now on it as the reporter talks in the background. "Now now husband..." Maddy says with a sinister grin. "Where are you hiding?"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Molding, It's a Girl Thing

Laura sat alone in the lunch room picking at her mashed potatoes as the other children of the new Xavier school conversed and laughed in the tables around her. She never fit in. Not in the avengers academy, not in the xmen and certainly not in whatever this was. She wasn't sure if xmen was an appropriate name for the rag tag team of mutants Scott summers had joined together. It was an uncanny team and didn't quite adhere to the qualifications of the other xmen. But it was her team now and she would stick by it for as long as she needed to. Why, she didn't know. X-23 was a living weapon made to destroy the xmen. Yet here she was eating lunch with them. Perhaps it was the environment. Ever since Laura was created, she had wanted a stable loving environment, no matter how much she would protest against it. Underneath her thick skin and anamantium bones was a girl. A frightened and weak girl in need of TLC. Here was one place she was finally getting it whether she openly knew it or not. Her concentration of thought was interrupted by the clang of a metal tray across the table from her. She looks up to meet the gaze of Celeste. One of the three psychic triplets known only as the stepford cuckoos. Usually they were joined at the hip but here Celeste sat, alone, with her signature sinister smirk on her face. Laura glares at her with an annoyed look.  
"What's wrong Mary Kate? The Ashely's mad at you again?" Laura said with not so much as a batted eye. She didn't pretend to smile pretty and be nice. It would be a disservice to others. Besides, she didn't like Celeste and didn't feel the need to be passive aggressive.  
"Laura you're so pleasant. Now I can see why everyone is dying to sit with you," Celeste says sarcastically turning her head to the table where most of the students sat. Phoebe and mindee were among the crowd at the table laughing and carrying on. Celeste turns her attention back to the brooding adolescent girl across from her and smiles. "The Ashley's have other friends to preoccupy their time. I on the other hand have you."  
Laura raises an eyes brow and almost spits out the water she had just drank. Her face curls up into a smile and she swallows then giggles slightly. "You? My friend? That's cute." Laura's face turns serious. "I don't have friends.  
Celeste looks over Laura's shoulder and raises an eye brow intriguingly at the young boy coming out of the lunch line. Scott summers. He was one of the original xmen that came from the past. Celeste's eyes begin to glow and Scott stops in his path, almost dropping his tray on the ground. "No friends at all," she asked Laura.  
A look of confusion washes over Laura's face and she looks back. Immediately she wished she hadn't. Now she knew what Celeste was talking about and what she was doing. "Celeste what are you..."  
"Y'know I can see the appeal. The soft little nerd that grows up to be the big strong leader of the mutant race. It's adorable really. But right now at this age, his innocence hasn't been taken from him. He can be molded into anything and if there's one thing girls like us like to do, it's mold."  
Laura snaps back around, her claws popping out of her hand. She holds them up to Celeste's throat. "Stop it. Now. You've had your fun," Laura says through gritted teeth.  
"Down girl. The fun is just getting started. Y'know I don't know why you go for boys like that anyways. Scott always seemed a little... fruity to me."  
There was the clank of a metal tray on the table behind Laura and she looked back again. Scott had set his tray down on the table next to him and was now walking back to the lunch line where jean and warren were walking out laughing and flirting. The two stop as they see Scott and a look of worry washes over them as they see his blank expression. "Scotty hey man. We weren't doing..." Warren begins to say but is stopped mid-sentence by Scott. Scott grabs a hold of warrens face with both hands and plants a kiss on his lips. Both jeans and warrens eyes widen with a shock and the entire lunch room goes quiet. Warren's look of shock soon changes to one of anger and he pushes Scott off. Before anyone could speak, warren winds back his fist and punches Scott, sending him flying back into the tray of food he had left on the table.  
Laura gets up from her seat and rushes to Scott's side. The lunch room was filled with whispers of disbelief and awe. One sound was out of place and that was the laughter Laura heard from behind her, emanating from a very amused Celeste.  
Scott rubs his head and tries to sit up. "L-Laura?" He questioned. "I don't know what came over me. It's like my body was on auto pilot. I would've never..." Laura stops him by placing her finger on his lips to silence him.  
"Scott I know. Trust me. Let's get you cleaned up," she said as she slung Scott's arm over her shoulder and her own around his waist to help him up.  
As she did, Celeste got up from her seat and walked down the aisle of the cafeteria. As she passed Laura, she whispered in her ear. "This was fun darling. Let's do it again sometime." Then she continued her stroll down the aisle to the door. "Phoebe, Irma, let's go!" She shouted as she walked between jean and warren, knocking her shoulders into both of them. Her sisters get up from their table and quickly and follow behind her. As they pass warren phoebe blushes and waves. "Bye," she says sweety in passing but was out of the lunch room before warren could say anything back.  
Laura helps Scott's up, glaring at warren from across the room. Warren looks at her angrily and then next to him at jean who is also glaring. "What?!" He asks angrily like he did nothing wrong.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Leader of Nothing

Scott summers. One of the most well-known mutant terrorists in the world and the most misunderstood of them all. You see Scott wasn't always this way. Living in a decommissioned weapon x facility that he had turned into a school, memorializing Charles Xavier and everything he stood for. No Scott use to be more. Fearless leader of the xmen, husband, father. But that all changed when the Phoenix force had possessed him. The Phoenix took root in the darkest parts of the man skull, causing him to relive terrible experiences while it used his body to create more. Now because of that Scott and his band of mutants are fugitives from the law. But that doesn't stop him from doing the good the world needs. The good Charles taught him how to do. It's just harder now. The tall muscular man walks down the school halls, passing a couple of students on his way down it. They smile, a few even wave of say hello, but Scott face remains stern and cold. He says nothing, not even so much as a smirk. He had nothing to be happy about. Not today. Not since what happened. There were days when that was all he thought about but this was not one of those days. No today at the top of Scott's mind was himself, or at least the past version of himself that had been brought to the present by hank McCoy in a ploy to show Scott the evil bastard he had become. Now the younger cyclops was living under Scott's roof along with the rest of the original xmen including Scott's dead wife Jean grey. He wasn't aloud near her. It was one kitty's list of agreements for staying with them. And it was probably for the best. But there was no rule against Scott talking to himself. He wanted to help the kid. Make it so that he didn't grow up the way Scott did himself. Maybe if he could find the words to say, Scott could stop everything that happened. Not just the Phoenix but everything. He could change. His thought process was cut short as he enters the teachers' lounge. A strong conclusion comes over him, pulling him off of his train of thought and towards the group of three women standing before him, all with very dower expressions on their faces. Illyana Rasputin, Emma frost and kitty pryde all stand before him with their arms crossed and glaring at the man. Scott tried to ignore them. He tried to remember his plan, what he was thinking, but couldn't. Scott's face scrunches up angrily as he looks to Emma. "Get the hell out of my head. We talked about that." Emma steps forward, her black heels clicking on the floor as she walks towards him. "No we didn't. We broke up and since that, we've hardly talked at all. Besides you don't have me to blame. I'm only the bullet. Pryde wanted that idiotic thought out of your head since the moment she got here. I just helped her." Emma stops in front of Scott, there body's almost touching as she glares fearlessly into the ruby Quartz red x plastered on his face. One blast from Scott beams could destroy her but she had no fear what so ever. Scott looks up over Emma shoulder at kitty who is now looking away guiltily. "You had her erase my mind?! What the hell?! I'm your le..." "You're not my anything!" Kitty snaps back looking up angrily at Scott. "I'm here because I wanted to be a part of a team. Because I was tired of everyone blindly following orders and not giving a damn what I say! And the kids are mine. I don't want you near them. Not Jean, not yourself, not even Laura. Do I make myself clear?" Kitty says every muscle in her body tense with rage. Scott grits his teeth in anger. It was absurd to not let him speak to them or even be around them. But he could see where kitty was coming from. She cared for the kids. More than anything. And all he wanted to do was use them to change the past. There was no fault in her protecting them. It was her job after all. After a moment of silence Scott finally responds through gritted teeth. "Crystal." Emma smirks. "Yknow I like this side of him. Obedient. It's cute. Why don't you say it again darling... But this time on your knees." Scott drops to his knees, not being able to control his own actions. "Stop" Scott says. He struggles, not being able to move a single bone. "Emma!" Illyana shouts out behind her. "Oh calm done I was just having fun." "No. Not that. Come over here. Now. All of you." Emma looks over her shoulder to illyana who was staring at the computer monitor. She drops her control over Scott, letting him stand and walk over to the screen. On it was a black bird. One of the planes that Logan's group of xmen drove and it was landing on the front lawns of Scott's school. "Damn. We have company," Scott says turning towards the door. "Sound the alarms. I can't see this being pretty."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Just Some Stupid Crush

Scott walked out of the shower with his towel tied around his waist into his bedroom. It was a small decommissioned weapon x cell that was converted into student living quarter but it was a room nonetheless. Across the room was a young girl in a brown uniform and leather jacket, leaning on the bedroom door. Her long black hair tied into a high pony tail. She looks at the young man with a straight face. Her gaze was directed at his visor and nothing else. Her face was almost red when Scott walked out in only a towel but she wasn't one to show her feelings. To her, love was a weakness and the other sex a distraction from her mission. But what even was her mission anymore? She didn't even know. "Your suits in the wash," Laura said breaking the awkward silence. Scott sat on the bed and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh thanks," he says in reply. "I um... I'm not gay. I don't know how to..." Laura holds up her hand to silence him. "It wasn't you. It was Celeste. She will do anything to amuse herself." Laura cringed slightly and looked away as she noticed the bruise covering Scott's eye and nose left by warrens fist. She couldn't help but feel like this was all her fault. Celeste had done it to prove a point to Laura. That she wanted Scott. Laura knew she did but couldn't admit it. Not even to herself. She had been hurt to many times by so many people. These feelings should be impossible for her to feel. She wished they were. Scott notices Laura looking away and looks up at her sympathetically. "Laura are you ok? You've acted strange ever since the whole thing." Scott pats the bed next to him and Laura turns her attention to him. She wanted to sit. To be with him. Closer to him. To help him after what Celeste did. But something Celeste said stuck with Laura. He was an innocent 16 year old boy. He hadn't ever had anything like what had happened to her happen to him. Not yet. And being with him, she could possibly change him. Change him from being the man he is destined to be. But Laura couldn't help but wonder if changing him was such a bad thing. It could prevent the avengers and xmen disaster and Xavier could still be alive. Besides, why should she wait around because the time stream made a mistake? She smiled softly and sadly, sitting next to Scott on the bed. The two sit there in silence for a few minutes, staring at the opposite wall, not knowing what to say to each other. Then Laura finally turned to Scott and opened her mouth to speak. "Your eyes," she said pointed to Scott's blacked eyes, examining it. "Just bruise Laura. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me," Scott says lowering her finger and taking her hand in his. "What I don't understand though is why Celeste would do something like that. It's not in her nature to prey on me of all people. I'm her originals boyfriend after all." Laura looked into the glowing red glasses Scott was wearing, trying to find his eyes under it. It must've been hard for him, never being able to see but one color of the spectrum. Her hand tightens in his as she contemplates whether to tell Scott the truth behind Celeste's deliberate attempt to humiliate Scott. Finally she sighed and looked away into his towel covered lap. "She has this silly idea that I have a crush on you and thought one good way to get to me was to get to you first. I guess that's the only way to mess with the girl with the iron heart. Heart the ones she cares about... Not that I care about you," Laura finishes with a glare back at Scott. Scott smile and intertwines his fingers with Laura as he speaks. "I don't think that sounds silly at all," he replied staring into her eyes. He didn't know exactly what color they were but any color would suit her. Even the red tent his glasses have her eyes. Laura was caught off guard, staring dreamily at Scott. Well as dreamily as a killing machine could. Scott looked down at their hands and noticed something odd. He raises his eye brow as he stared at her wrist. "Are you wearing my jacket," Scott asked looking back up at Laura. "Huh?" She says shaking her head and snapping out of her dream like state. She looked down at her body. She had been wearing Scott's jacket ever since she walked in. It started as trying it on but as time flew, she forgot all about the article of clothing. "Oh sorry. I was just trying it..." She reaches to pull it off but is interrupted by Scott grabbing her wrist. Again she falls silent. "It's fine Laura. Keep it. It was getting small on me anyways," he says with a smile. Laura stops and looks down at Scott's hand on her wrist. Her face reddens slightly and her gaze rises to his glasses. Scott's smile quickly fades as he notices Laura's blank stare into him. Laura leans her head closer to Scott. He does the same slightly closing him eyes. Their faces are inches apart now. Scott places his hand gently in Laura cheek and pulls her closer. Just as their lips almost touch, a siren goes off through the school, making the two practically jump out of their seats. Scott stands up and runs over to his dresser, pulling out his uniform and walking back into the bathroom. "Stay here until I'm done," he commands. "It's better to travel in a group we don't know what we're up against." Laura nods as her claws spring out from her knuckles. She stands glaring at the door, ready for anything that comes through.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: We Have a Problem

Ororo Monroe stepped down the slanted black off ramp of the black bird, the engines of its jets still roaring behind her. She steps down onto the snow converted ground. The wind blew her white Mohawk in every direction but she didn't seem to mind. As if she had intended it to that. In fact she didn't seem to mind the weather at all. There she stood with hardly any clothes on in subzero weather and she didn't shiver once. She stood tall and proud, facing the large metal door of the weapon x facility. The alarm could be heard from where she stood. They knew she was here. That is what she had intended. Behind four more figures exit the jet. A blue beastly looking man, hank McCoy walked up behind ororo with a laptop in hand, typing away. The rest wolverine, iceman, and psylocke stood on the other side of ororo facing the door, watching it for any sudden movements. "Psylocke?" Ororo questioned not turning her attention away from the round steel door ahead of them. "Nothing. It's dead silent in there." She responded with her finger placed to her temple. Strands of her lavender hair blew in front of her face as she spoke. "Not like that means anything. They've got frost, her clones, and a Jean grey." Hank looked up from his laptop at the group. " no worries. I have almost bypassed the security system they've put into place. This usually is not my forte but this is a very old, rudimentary system. Good practice." "I'm glad you got your practice doctor McCoy but I don't think that will be at all necessary," ororo says gesturing to the opening door of the facility. The round door slides open slowly, revealing a group of mutants. Not the entire school but a good portion of it. And they all stood behind one man. The revolutionary, the outcast, the leader of nothing. Scott summers. He stood firm, his arms crossed over his broad chest. Emma frost and illyana rasputin stood on either side of him staring back at the intruders. Scott wore a mask with a red x covering his eyes and his optic beams. But everyone knew who he was staring at. Ororo Monroe. His glare pierced her soul. They were once good friends. Ororo even once considered him her leader but deep down she knew she deserved it more than him. That he was no leader. Just a scared child who lost his parents. Lonely with a messiah complex. It repulsed ororo to look at him now. It reminded her of all the times she had blindly followed him into battle. What a foul she felt like now. But that wasn't going to change anything. Scott steps out, the two women following behind him. The students walk out onto the snow covered ground but do not follow Scott up to the intruders. Were they frightened of a fight breaking out between the two groups or was it all a part of Scott summers plan ororo wondered as the man walked up to her. "Well well and here I thought my invitation for thanksgiving was coming in the mail," Scott said with a smirk taunting the group. His joke was met with glares of disgust and snarls from the team. "God forbid you'd have to lay your eyes upon a retch like me." Scott said, his smirk diminishing into a glare of hatred towards the group. "Oh do you ever shut the hell up?!" Bobby drake, iceman blurted out. "Do you ever grow up?" Emma frost retorted grabbing Scott's arm slightly and unnoticeably to the others in hopes of comforting him. Without making a scene Scott pulls it away slightly tugging out of her grasp. He didn't need comfort especially not from her. "Can we cease the theatrics? We aren't here to bicker like children. Especially you Bobby," ororo said glaring over at Bobby who is now pouting at the end of the line. "We have something urgent in need of discussion Cyclops. We must talk. And I'm sure this would be more comfortable in private," ororo says looking over his shoulder at the children a few feet away in their own little group talking and taking quick glances over at them. "Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of them." Scott stated once again crossing his arms over is chest. "Very well. It's about your wife. Madelyn Pryor is back." Scotts eyes widen under his visor and he drops his arms in shock. His nonchalant demeanor had now faded into one which expressed fear and pain. Every memory flooding back into his brain and all of them about Madelyn Pryor. The love, the hate, every fight and every loving moment. Every time he hurt her and treated her wrong. The crowd of students went silent in the background all of them now staring at Scott summers. Emma places her hand on his shoulder, trying to look him in the eyes to tell what he was feeling. She didn't know why. She knew how he felt. But had never seen him so quickly change character before. "Holy shit," the cuckoos say in unison, breaking the silence. Emma snaps back at them angry but says nothing. The three look away like they hadn't said a thing at all. "Uh. I... I... Think I need a minute." Scott said wearily, turning around to head back to the facility, but is cut short when a tug on his arm pulls him back. Ororo stood there holding his arm in hers. "We need to talk about this. You and everyone else here is in a lot of danger Scott. She almost took down the entire group xmen as a ghost. Imagine what she could do now," Scott stood there for a moment, looking back into the woman's determined gaze and then nodded. She led him into the black bird. Emma and illyana began to follow behind him but signaled them not to. He knew ororo and while she did have a checkered past like everyone else, he was sure she wasn't lying. Above all else she was honorable and she wouldn't use Scott's heart against him in such a way. Besides this was not something he needed either of them to hear. He boarded wearily and light headed but tried not to show it.  
Back in the group of students assembled on the front law of the "school" a loud calamity of voices arose. Irma stepford winced and looked up at the black bird, grabbing her head. There on the ramp hank McCoy was boarding with the rest. She stood there for a moment clutching her head and staring at him until he had fully entered the jet. Phoebe looked over to her sister concerned. "Irma your psychic link was cut off... Is everything ok." The stepford cuckoos had been through much together and we're making changes to different one another from the rest but they were still one mind and they never had broken that until now. "Y-ya I'm fine," Irma said wincing and rubbing her head. "I think I just need to lay down for a bit." "Um ok let me just get..." "Alone," Irma interrupted her sister, trudging off quickly through the snow and back to the building. Phoebe stood watching her sister wondering what had caused this sudden and rash behavior. But then she shrugged it off, turning to the rest of the students. Irma her and celeste shared one mind. They can turn it off temporarily but sooner of later she would find out what had caused this. It did not worry her.  
Scott sat down across from ororo at a small table inside the black bird. It had been a while since he had seen the inside of the plane. The widows were tented red and the inside entirely black. It was intimidating. No wonder everyone was so scared of the xmen. With a paint job like that they might as well have been hydra. Scott placed his hands on the table uncomfortably. He didn't know what to do or how to sit. He hadn't known these people in so long and they hadn't liked him in a long time either. Bobby stood next to Scott, blocking him into his seat. Suddenly a block of ice began to form around Scott's feet and hands, concreting each pair together. Scott opened his mouth to speak but before he could, a thin sheet of ice formed over his mouth. "Shut it summers," Bobby demanded placing his hand on Scott's shoulder and bending over to get in the man's face. "You're not going to say a damn word..."  
"Bobby!" Ororo yelled out  
"... You're going to sit there and listen..."  
"Bobby!"  
"... And then I'll decide whether to freeze these off or not," without warning Bobby grabs Scott's crotch and sends an artic blast into it. It burned Scott and he tried not to but let out a slight squeal of pain as the hand gripped harder and colder.  
"BOBBY DRAKE!" Ororo yelled angrily rising from her seat. "Wait outside and we will discuss this irrational behavior back at the school!"  
Bobby frowned and squeeze harder. He brought his lips up to Scott's ear and whispered "merry Christmas." With that Scott's eyes widened as a bock of ice formed around his crotch inside of his suit. He moaned in discomfort and then Bobby let go, leaving the moaning man and the rest of his team and walking out of the jet. Ororo eyed him angrily as he walked. Once he was out she sat back down in her seat, turning her attention back to Scott who was wiggling around uncomfortably in his seat.  
"I'm dearly sorry for Bobby. Xavier's murder hit him hard. You'll have to excuse is vengeful behavior."  
"Mm mm mm." Scott moan frantically looking down in his lap."  
"I'm afraid you will have to deal with that on your own time Mr. Summers. Let's proceed to the task at hand. A few weeks ago my team and I were on a mission to stop a program from ruling the world. The program in turn took over a female host and began a team called the sister hood. In addition to this the program saw her only way of succeeding was bringing back two of the biggest foes we have ever faced. Selene Gallio and Madelyn Pryor. Madelyn is back and is in the body of Ana Cortez. Ana's body was laced with Dna from Jean grey which is why Madelyn was able to inhabit her body. We both know she hates you and Jean grey Scott. She will kill you which I personally would love to see happen but I can't. So you have one of two options. One: you and your students leave here and come to the Jean grey school. You will be taken into custody while your students will live happily and learn the right way to use their powers. Or you can stay here and get everyone killed."  
Scott glares back at her. She knew his answer immediately. She sat back comfortably in her chair.  
"It will be your funeral Mr. Summers. Just let's hope you don't bring anyone else down with you." Ororo snaps her fingers and beast walks over. He picks up Scott and flings him over his shoulder, the edge of the block of ice in Scott's pants poking him in the shoulder blade. Hank carries him out to the ramp and then throws him onto the snow outside. The group of students gasp and Emma runs over to him. "So I'm guessing that didn't go well," she says looking down at him. Bobby smirks and turns to walk into the jet. Just as he steps on, wolverine runs up behind him. "Logan?" Bobby questions at the small furry man. "Where have you been buddy?"  
"Nowhere," he responded with a grunt. Then Logan looks back at the woods, as if someone was looking back. "Just had some business to take care of.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Homecoming

The back door to the weapon x facility busts open the small tender yet powerful foot of Laura Kinney hovered above the snow covered ground from the kick. Two claws protruded from her arm, ready to strike anything that may be waiting on the other side. Scott followed behind her, passing her and running out into the snowy wilderness. His hand rose to his right temple as he surveyed the area around them. All clear. He lets his muscles relax slightly as he turns back to face Laura. She stands stiff as a statue awaiting the order to strike. She wasn't like Scott. She wasn't like any of them. Laura Kinney was a weapon and she could not think of herself as anything else.  
"I think the area is clear," Scott says walking back to her.  
"It's not." Laura replies not moving an inch. Her nostrils flare, sniffing the air around her. "There's jet fuel in the air. I'm surprised you can't smell it." She says breaking her stance and walking past Scott. "Remind me again why we went out the back like cowards instead of the front."  
"They expect the front. They have no idea this is back here. We can sneak around front and if there's an attack happening we can surprise the enemy." Scott stated blatantly. Laura growled slightly. She wasn't afraid of any enemy big or small. She would fight galactus with both hands tied behind her back. She knew little of fear. And after what had just happened, she could use a good fight.  
She searched the area around them making sure it was safe like Scott had said it was. He was right of course but it didn't hurt to double check.  
"Come on," Scott ushered, walking towards the front of the facility. "Let's see what's going on."  
Laura obeyed, walking a few steps behind Scott and surveying the area around him. Her claws still out ready to draw the blood of anyone stupid enough to so much as look at her the wrong way. She looked all around especially up in the trees, trying to find some excuse to stab something. She was distracting herself but knew she couldn't. For the 17 years she had been on the earth, she had never been more terrified or more excited then she had been just a few minutes ago. And now she stood following behind him like a lost puppy or a love sick school girl. Maybe she was love sick. She'd of course never tell him that and that's why they would never work. Laura shy, reserved and wanted to kill everything in sight. Scott was a leader, a man... Or at least he'd grow up to be one. Laura was just a clone.. A weapon made from the one person who hates Scott summers more than anyone. Yet she still likes him... Maybe even more than that. God she hated this. She felt weak and defenseless. Just like when she was a child.  
There was a long awkward silence between the two as they walked towards the front of the facility. Then suddenly Scott breaks it. He turns over his shoulder slightly to look back at Laura.  
"Soo..." Scott says walking slower than before. His body more tense then it had been before  
"What?" Laura snapped at him angrily  
"Are you mad at me"  
"No... Maybe."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know."  
"How do you not know?"  
"I'm frustrated"  
"With me?"  
"No... Yes... I don't know."  
"Because of what happened or what didn't?"  
"Yes," Laura replied answering to both of them when Scott had only meant for her to say one.  
"Oh," he turns back to the land in front of him  
Laura's claws retract in slightly and she looks off to her right, down at the white snow beneath her feet. "I don't think we should talk about this right now." She stayed as they reach the front of the facility.  
The two lay down in the snow as to not be seen. In front of them they see the older version of Scott standing silently with the other team of Xmen from West Chester gathered in front of him. The students were standing staring at the group with anticipation.  
"I thought you said they didn't know you were here," Laura whispered looking at Scott.  
"I thought they didn't," he replied in a hushed voice not taking his eyes off of the scene. The older him looked scared, distraught. Like someone had just died. He looked as if he were about to pass out right there in front of everyone. What could have cause this? Wondered Scott. What could have caused his future self to look so... Terrified and guilty.  
"Oh shit." A voice rings out in the crowd of students which broke the silence. The older Scott tried to go back to the base but was grabbed by storm.  
Laura stood up, ready to attack but Scott placed his hand on her leg as she stood. She didn't know why but it calmed her. Her muscles relaxed and her claws drew slightly in.  
"I don't think he's in danger." Scott said watching as his older version walked into the black jet. "He's going willingly. I wonder what's going on down there."  
The words he said flew into one of Laura's ears and out the other as she stared down at him, his hand on her leg. She couldn't help it. She tried to look away but couldn't.  
"What do you think Laura?" Scott asked and looked up to her. She didn't answer. All she did was stare awkwardly. "Laura?"  
"Huh? What?" She asked snapping out of her daze. "Oh right Ya. False alarm probably." She extended her hand to help him up off the ground. Scott smiled and accepted it, pulling himself up. As she helped him up, Laura stepped back slightly into a sheet of ice. Losing all balance, she fumbled forward and fell into the Scott. The two fell onto the powdery snow. Scott landed with an oof his back on the ground and Laura on his chest. She pick her head up and looked down at him. She blushed slightly and then turned so her ebony hair fell in front of her face, hiding the blemish from Scott's eyes. Scott smiles and lifts his hand, tucking the hair behind Laura's ear.  
"So here we are again," he said with a dopey smile.  
Laura giggles slightly and looked back into his ruby red visor. "So we are," she replied with a laugh.  
The two lay there comfortably. Locked in eye contact, both unable to break the link between their eyes. It was almost as if the two were peering into each other's souls. Laura's stomach becomes tight and fluttery. Her eyelids droop as she leans in. Scott does the same, letting his hands travel down her slender back. The two lay there, their lips just about to touch. But before they could finally meet, Laura is yanked up by her hair and thrown back. It was all happening so quickly.  
Next think Scott knew, he was pushed up against the side of the facility with a fury rugged hand clamped around his throat and three razor sharp claws pointed at his face. In front of his stood a man no taller then he wearing a blue and yellow spandex costume with no sleeves, showing off his copious amount of arm hair. The man stood there panting. His eyes locked on summers. His hand clamps harder, choking the boy. Scott grabs his arm and tries to pry it off but it's no use. The man was too strong.  
"No below the belt bub, if you know what's good fer Ya," the man snarled. "I have ta' say I put up with Ya kid. Sure you grow up to be a douche but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Then I come here to find you about to have a fun time with a clone of me. As you can imagine, I ain't happy about that."  
He pushes the claws onto Scott's cheek, drawing three drips of blood that rolled down Scott's face in red streaks. Scott winces slightly at the pain, gasping as the man applies pressure onto his windpipe, constricting it and making it harder for Scott to breathe.  
Laura looks up still on her knees. She winces and rubs her head where he had pulled her off so forcefully. It takes her a moment to realize what was happening she sees Logan Hewlett, the closest thing she ever had to a father, stand with the boy that would grow up to be his worst enemy.  
"Logan..." Laura said standing wearily, trying to regain her balance. "... Stop. He didn't do anything."  
"Is that so?" Logan questioned looking over his shoulder slightly back at the girl. "If you ask me he's done everything. He's done all of this. Everything bad that has happened to the xmen, it's all his fault. Jean, maddy, Xavier. And now I come to find you... Me... About to make sweet tender love in the place that we were made. It's ironic isn't it Laura? A future murderer in a past home of murderers. You do love the trouble makers don't you girl? And as for you," he said turning back to Scott who lay limp and half-awake in his grip. "You've done all of this. And it just think sometimes... I wonder... What would happen if I slipped? If I just cut this little vein right here?" Logan asked as his claw when down Scott's neck to his artery. "Would the world cease to exist or rather would it be better than ever? Well I'll let you in on a secret. I'm done wondering!" Logan applied pressure, drawing blood but before he could cut into the boys flesh any further, he felt a stabbing pain in his back. He turned slightly over his shoulder to see Laura, her head pointed towards the ground and her hand balled into a fist on Logan's back where a blood spot began to form on his yellow and blue suit. He cringed slightly and let his hold loosen on Scott.  
"I've had worse injuries kid. I hope you know that."  
"I can't let you go through with it Logan. You know that. Whether you hate him or not... You can't. We both know it's not how the story goes."  
"And how does it go Laura?!" Logan yells furiously glaring at the lifeless body in front of him. "We sit our entire lives following this madman to our graves while he reaps all the spoils?! While we work and sacrifice he sits up there on his high horse getting everything we deserve... Everyone." He looks down. The last word of what he said was quieter than the rest. He stared down at the white blanket of snow covered in drops of the boys blood and his own. He knew Laura's answer before she said it.  
"You know that's how it goes Logan. You know you deserve better so you work harder. But he gets everything you want. But that thing you two use to compete over... That person... She's gone now... More or less. He's not the man out there talking to storm now. This is just a boy. A guy who lost everyone he loved. He's innocent. You wanna kill the present day Scott summers? Go ahead but you can't change the past. If you didn't get Jean grey with him in the picture you won't with him out of it. It was never that she loved him more Logan and you know that. It was just never meant to be..."  
The two stand in silence for a moment and then with a sigh, Logan drops Scott's body with a low growl. He walks forward slightly, letting Laura's claws unsheathe from his back. The wound almost immediately heals but it still hurts. Not physically of course. For the first time Logan had heard the thing he needed to hear all along. The truth. He turned to look toward Laura, her head hanging low. With each breathe she released, a mist came from her mouth. Logan put his hand under her chin, bringing her head up to face him.  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
"That I like him?"  
"That you came here."  
"Logan..." She said turning away again and rubbing her elbow. "After everything that happened with arcade and the avenger's academy... I just... I needed to make my own choices and I knew you'd never approve. So I didn't contact you."  
"I've been worried."  
"I've missed you..." She said in a whisper as if she were embarrassed of it. Logan's eyes widen, caught off guard by the comment. Then he moves in closer, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms tightly around Laura. Her body stiffens at first. She had never seen this side of Logan and wasn't usually the touchy freely type of girl. But she was tired of repressing it all. She was tired of hiding her feelings from everyone. She was tired of being alone. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly in her arms, nuzzling into his chest. Logan smiles slightly and stated "I missed you too kid and I... Uh well... You know." He said awkwardly with a blush.  
"Ya da... Logan. I know." She replied warmly never wanting to let go again. Laura Kinney had never had a family but this would have to do.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Girls Day Out

Madelyn Pryor sat outside of a bistro on a New York street corner. The sun reflected off her ebony black sun glasses which shielded any sign of her eyes. With them on people could not tell where her eyes wandered. They had no clue if her stern regal expression was towards them or someone else in the area. It was intimidating to say the least. A cup of joe lay on the table in front of her untouched. The steam rose up slightly off the brown liquid. The busy bustling sounds of the city buzzed around her. Car horns, yelling people, construction work, "credit" by Megan trainer play on the stereo of the small bistro. It was magical to most but not to her. On top of telepathy she also had the magical power to tune it all out. Spite. Madelyn crosses her legs as she scans the row of tables in front her, watching the people talk and work publicly on their laptops. But one table in particular caught her eye. In the table directly next to her sat a lovely young lady squealing gaily at the remark of the man next to her who sat with a satisfied smirk on his face and a hint of lust in his eyes. He picks up his coffee and raises to his lips to take a sip from the cup. Madelyn lowers her glasses revealing her emerald green eyes. A sparkle appears in her eyes as the man spills the entire hot cup into his lap. A loud curse escapes his lips. Madelyn smiles sinisterly and turns her a attention back forward, pushing her glasses back over her eyes once again concealing her most mesmerizing feature. "Really Maddy?" A voice rings out behind her through the pained screams and pants of the man. "Was that necessary?" Madelyn smirks with hearing the voice. "Necessary? No. But we both know how I feel about P.D.A." She replies not bothering to turn to face the voice. An elegant ebony haired woman comes around Madelyn's left, caressing her shoulder as she passed to the seat across the small table. The woman wore a black leather jacket to compliment her curly hair, a white tank top and jeans. Hardly the attire she was accustom to. Selene Gallio was no normal woman. If being the former the former black queen of the hellfire club wasn't enough she also happened to be one of the most powerful mutants that ever existed. Like Madelyn, Selene was a telepath and thought to be dead. But Selene had a few more tricks up her sleeves then Madelyn including telekinesis and her favorite power, draining the life out of people, literally. She was only under the scarlet witch when it came to power and she knew it and needed everyone around her to also. Her stride was powerful yet graceful as she walk to the seat and took it out, sitting down across from the firey haired maiden. Selene smiled as she looked across at Madelyn. "Come now Maddy. I came back from the dead and flew across the world to be here. The least you could do is drop the shades and smile, sweetie" Madelyn sneered and glanced over the glasses at Selene. "Ok you were brought back same as me by that insane android who thought me of all people would take orders from her. If you go halfway across the world that's your fault not mine. I told you I'd need you one day."  
"And here we are." Selene said gesturing around her. "So what's the deal? I'm guessing you didn't call me here to have a much needed girls night out... Or have you?" Selene raises her eye brow with the upward inflection.  
Madelyn sighs. The plan was fresh in her head and undeveloped. She knew what she wanted but not how to obtain it. She wanted Scott to suffer. Suffer just like she had so many times. She wanted to rip his world away from him but that was difficult when he had nothing left. After the debacle with the Phoenix force Madelyn hardly saw anything else she could take from him. But she wanted it. She wanted it like a desert does a rain fall. It drove her insane not being able to find his weakness. His kryptonite.  
"If you asking me if I am re-creating my sisterhood then the answer is no. Not yet anyway. I must save that for another occasion. No this needs a more personal touch. I'm sure you've been watching the news."  
Selene slumped back in her seat with a pout, folding her arms across her chest. She knew exactly where this was heading and she did not like it. She did not like helping Madelyn with her marital issues. "Yes interesting thing the news," she remarked. " I heard last night that a man had Jumped out of a window of a hotel room not far from here. Crazy right? And get this... He was naked."  
Madelyn blushed slightly. "Amazing things men can be when they are prompted to care more about the woman's needs then their own. Wish I could have used that in earlier relationships. They may have worked out. But then we wouldn't be here now would we?"  
"So it is about him then. You're never going to get over summers are you?"  
"He robbed me of my happy ending. My child, my friends, his love. You never get over it. When I needed him most where was he? With Jean grey. That coincide goody goody he's head over heels for."  
"Let's not forget you both share a genetic code. I mean he basically cheated on you with you."  
Madelyn glared angrily at the mention of her origin. "I may be her clone but Jean grey and I are nothing alive. I'm a survivor. She's a innocence and innocence don't survive," Madelyn responds bitterly. There is a long pause of awkward silence. Finally a minute later Selene rolls her eyes. "Fine I'm sorry queenie. You're right. As far as I'm concerned, you're the better version. But I've been told I'm insane."  
"You are darling. You truly are. But that's why I admire you. A person like me , so we'll put together and benevolent could never get into the ride mind set for revenge like a mentally psychotic loom such as yourself could."  
"Thank you Madelyn. And I admire the way you can turn a compliment into another statement that proves you're the biggest vindictive bitch on the planet."  
Madelyn smiles, taking off her sun glasses. "There now we've both said something horribly passive aggressive. Now as for business. Last we spoke I vowed to bring the xmen to their knees with the sisterhood. But that's not what I had in mind this time around. I want to take out my dear husband. But nit just take him out. I need him to suffer. To have his entire life ripped for his hands. Everything he's ever loved burned till they are unrecognizable..."  
Madelyn noticed something odd. During her rang Selene had been quiet. Too quiet. Selene sat, no longer daring to make eye contact with Madelyn. Madelyn raises an eye brow. She wanted to probe through Selena's thoughts and know everything the woman was thinking. But due to the psychic nature of Selena's powers, she had a block placed that only someone more powerful than herself could break and even then it was hard.  
"There's something you're not telling me." Madelyn asks more as a statement then a question. Selene shivers slightly. She did not know why but Madelyn had always intimidated her. She could kill Madelyn with one touch yet the woman still sent chills through Selena's spine even though she'd never admit it out loud.  
"Well it's just... No"  
"Tell me," Madelyn demanded.  
"It's too dangerous."  
"I don't care."  
"You'll die."  
"I. Don't. Care." Madelyn restated more firmly this time, narrowing her eyes. Selene shivers once more but tries not to show it. She had to act like she wasn't afraid of Madelyn or she would walk all over her. She contemplates once more whether or not to say it aloud. It was a crazy idea. It would ruin everything they had worked for but it might solve Madelyn's problem. Finally Selene lets out a deep sigh.  
"The five original xmen. Scott, Bobby, warren, hank... Doctor McCoy brought them to the present to teach Scott a lesson but it back fired and they're with him now."  
"And?" Madelyn sneers. "How the hell does that... Wait. You said five yet you only listed four. Selene does that mean..." A sinister smile caresses Madelyn's face as the thought crosses her mind. "Is Jean grey alive?" She asks with a slight excited tone to her voice.  
Selene nods silently. "This is amazing. We can slit her throat right in front of him. She'll never have existed. He'd never have found his true love and I'll finally have my happy ending."  
"Madelyn stop!" Selene finally blurts out. "Yes you'd succeed for a moment but then you'd cease to exist. And who knows what else you could have changed."  
"Yes who does know. As I recall you were the black queen until that tramp came in and ruined everything you had worked for. You'd still be the it girl if it weren't for her. You get a happy ending here too Selene. We all do. We need this."  
The thoughts of being the black queen once more run through Selena's mind like a nostalgic blast from the past. She had the chance to be the black queen. Maybe more. Without Jean in her way she could achieve so much more than before. She'd finally be on top just like she'd dreamed of since she was a girl. Selene grins evilly. "I suppose that could work"  
"I knew I could count on you Selene. Now how do you propose we go about this.? Scott's little weapons facility must be guarded in some fashion. What if we go in posing as-" before Madelyn could finish two young men approach the table. One blonde with a shaved head except for a small patch of hair in the middle running back like a Mohawk. The other a brunette. His hair swept over to the side with a beanie on his head. He looked shyer and stood behind the blonde man like a shadow. The blonde man stood straight, his large chest puffed out, showing off his abdominal muscles. He bent down and lean on the table between the two woman. "Hello ladies. My friend and I here just could not stop staring at you both from over there and would be total idiots if we didn't ha..."  
"Sit!" Selene snarls cutting the man off. As if in a trance, both men squat down and sit on the ground like two trained dogs. "Men these days," Selene remarks taking the blonde man's cheeks into her hand. "... So savage and idiotic. Y'know I've been aching for mutts ever since I came back. With the right training and discipline you two would be perfect," she said to the men. Then she turned to Madelyn. "As for the security don't worry about it. I have something a little more sinister in mind. Now if you'll excuse me," Selene said standing. "I have to go buy some leashes." She walks off. Then whistles and the men follow on all fours, panting wildly.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Training

Selene stood in her hotel room humming a jaunty tune as she lay out an assortment of devices onto the table in front of her. On the table lay three sets of everything. Three gags, three pairs of razor sharp claws, and more things she had picked up while shopping that either interested her or she was pressured into buying. Beside her on the bed lay the two men from early curled up on their stomachs like dogs. They both now wore black leather suits covering their entire bodies but their heads. Both lay obediently silent as Selene was ordering them through a telepathic link set up between the three. Selene controlled their every move and the worst part was they knew and could do nothing about it. The black leather suits were lined with metal spikes down each arm and leg and down the chest of the suit. The suits squeaked as the men's chests lifted and sank due to their breathing. Selene picked up one of the instruments she had bought and examined it. "You both realize you're never getting out of this correct?" She says putting it back down on the table. The device was too sexual looking. She wanted the men to get no pleasure out of their experience whatsoever. "Don't get me wrong. It's an honor to be selected as my pets and once it begins you'll never want to be anything other but do not mistake this. This is a punishment... For one of you at least," Selene says glaring at the blonde man. She then makes a slow stride to the other side of the bed. "As for the other.." She says reaching the side with. The brunette on it. She pets his hair, running her fingers through it. It was silky and smooth. A slight smile pursed her lips. "You may be the alpha. I was watching you at the bistro. You let the blondie there walk all over you don't you? Well this for you is a reward. You'll finally grow a spine. But..." Selene stopped and let her hand sit there on top his head. His hair now an added mess. "I suppose I do owe you your last free words. I don't like my pets to talk so here's your chance." Selene snapped her fingers, letting the men once again have control but only from the neck up. The brunette bursts into tears the second he is let off Selena's hold. "Please! God please! I'll do anything just let us go. I didn't even want to talk to you two. Please. I have parents. They'll wonder where I've gone! And friends!"  
"That's a lie. Your parents are dead. You have no close friends and you are unemployed as of yesterday. It will be weeks before you are reported and even then the search will only be top priority for a day and then you'll be forgotten. It's like you were destined for this." Selene said with a smile  
"You're sick," screams out the blonde man.  
"And you are a pervert who uses women. I'm doing the world a favor by doing this." She stopped petting the brunette man's head and began to walk back to the table.  
"Ok creepy chick. We are your dogs. You break us, humiliate us, then what? You'll be done with us sooner or later. And when you are we will be ready."  
"If only I was doing this for fun. You see I need you both more then you know. You're going to help my friend and I out very much."  
"We'd never help you," said the brunette through his tears  
Selene grabbed two of the gags off the table and walked back behind the two. She mounted the blonde like a steed and place the gag into his mouth, tightening the straps as tight as she could around the back of his head. "Oh I can be very persuasive." The blonde groaned through the gag. He had lost his control once again. Next Selene mounted the brunette.  
"Please. I'll give you every last dime I have. I'll do whatever you want. Just please let me go." He sobbed. His face was stained red with the streaks of tears running down it.  
"Oh honey no. You see..." She placed the gag in his mouth. "I like you and I never let the good ones get away." With that she tightened the strap even tighten then on the blonde. The brunette lean out a squeal of pain and continued to sob. Selene allowed him. She loved to hear men grovel. It showed they were weak unlike herself. She got up off the man and stood once again on the floor. A loud knock rang on the door of the room. "Room service," a deep voice called. Selene stared at the door with a wicked grin. "Oh goody. I needed a third."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Alone

Celeste stroked down the halls of the school with a strong and quick, yet elegant stride. Her golden locks of hair fluttered in the wind behind her he as she walked. Both of her hands stayed balled into fists, tightened by anger, at her sides. She was out for blood and much like her 'mother', when she got like this there was no hope of stopping it. The students evaded her as they walked, stopping as she passed to stare. Whoever she was after was not going to be here after today and everyone wanted to know who it was. "Celeste!" The sweet and innocent voice of Celeste's sister phoebe cried out behind her as she walked. Celeste didn't bother looking back or responding to the call. She pressed on, determined to get to the person she was looking for. Phoebe ran after her sister, pushing through the straggling students who had stopped to gaze at the girl's extreme anger. "Celeste please wait!" Phoebe cried out as she got closer, reaching out and trying to touch the girl. Then at the end of the hallway Celeste saw him. The boy she had been searching for. Her tender frail body quickly transforms into a rigid diamond glistening under the fluorescent lights. She walks up behind the young dirty blonde haired boy who was going through his locker and clearly didn't notice her coming up. He fumbled around, trying to fit all of his books into one hand. In one swift motion Celeste pulls her fist back and then let's it collide with the locker in front of the boy, putting a large dent into it and ruining the door. Her arm hovered inches above the boys shoulder. He immediately dropped his books and stared at the diamond crusted fist now implanted into his locker door. A chill runs up his spine as he processes everything in his head. Then he says aloud only two words.  
"Holy shit!"  
Then, grabbing the back of the boy's short hair, celeste pushed his face forward into the locker door where her fist had once occupied. She pulls his head back out and turns him around to face her, clamping her hands around his slender throat and punching him back up against the locker. His nose was twisted and gushing blood. The boy wanted to hold it. He wanted to scream out for help. He wanted to scream period. But he didn't. He knew the only way to handle this was to do what she wanted. So he kept his hands planted firmly on the lockers at his sides, showing the girl he would be submissive. By this time a large group of students had gathered around to see what was happening. The boy didn't not care. He did not look at them out of shame, but he did not look at celeste either, not in the eyes. Never directly in her eyes. When these instances happen, he took to a focal point just below her nose and above her lips. He had stopped playing games with her long ago. He, like everyone else that celeste had crossed paths with, was terrified of her. She applied pressure to his throat, causing his to gasp slightly.  
"What? No jokes this time Bobby?"  
He did not answer.  
"Go ahead. You know you can. I can't get in your head anymore. Or Scott's or any other of you time stream reject cause that heifer you call a telepath put up a psyblock to protect you. So go ahead Bobby. Say something funny."  
Once again Bobby did not speak. He just stared lifelessly at his focal point, hoping she'd get bored and leave.  
Phoebe finally made her way through the crowd of students and saw what celeste had done. She ran up to her sister and immediately began to tug on her arm, viciously trying to get her off of Bobby.  
"Celeste! Stop! He doesn't know! Please! Don't hurt him!"  
Celeste scowled, lifting up her free hand and back handing phoebe across the face, sending her flying across the floor.  
"Ok drake I'll make this quick. You phoebe and Irma have been handing out lately a lot, correct? Why did Irma break our link and where did she go?! And don't lie to me. I'll know."  
Celeste pulled back her fist and lined it, ready to let it collide with bobbys face.  
"I-ack-... I don't know," he wheezed out.  
"Wrong answer," Celeste replied and then let her fist go, sending it smacking into his jaw. A loud crack sounded and Bobby screamed out in pain. Phoebes eyes widened in horror as she watched. This wasn't her sister. This wasn't celeste. Sure Celeste could be bitchy, manipulative and cruel but this? Never this. She didn't even see remorse. All she saw a cold dead look in Celeste's eyes. Fear, hatred, anger, frustration. It was all there.  
"You weak pathetic loser," Celeste said dropping the boy to the ground. She let a final kick land in between his ribs.  
He again screamed out in pain, tears flowing from his face and blood staining the hallway floor.  
"Pathetic." She said once again in a low mummer to herself as she stared down the boy, her skin returning to its normal pale complexion. Then she turned as if snapping out of a daze to see everyone standing around watching her. She stood there for a moment and stared back. Then she glared angrily at the crowd, lashing out. "What are you all staring at?! Huh?!"  
The crowd didn't move. They did not pretend like they hadn't been looking. They didn't say a word. The just stared at celeste standing over the bloody whaling body of Bobby drake.  
Phoebe, who had finally managed to pick herself up, ran over to Bobby. She knelt down beside him and placed her hand on the top of his head, not knowing at all what to do. After a moment of stroking his hair lightly, phoebe snapped up at Celeste angrily.  
"What the hell was that?! You nearly killed him?!"  
Celeste stared back, astonished at Bobbies blood gushing body. How could she have done something like that? She looked down to her hands. They were red and splattered with blood. She shivers slightly. What had she done?  
"I... I..." She stutters out, running her hands back through her blonde hair, staining with splatters of the blood, turning a cherry blonde.  
"You what?!" Phoebe yells angrily.  
"I was looking for Irma!" Celeste snaps back, looking angrily at phoebe. "Do you not care at all about her?!"  
"This is how you show caring about someone?! Bobby was innocent. God knows what you would have done to him if Jean hadn't blocked him from your powers!"  
"I suppose you know all about little miss perfect don't you?" Celeste retorts. "You are so busy emulating her that you've totally lost yourself! Just look at us. We use to be identical! Now you look more like Jean then you look like me with that retched hair color!"  
Phoebes eyes narrow in discuss. "Me? What about you? Look at yourself. Look at this. You beat Bobby to near death over Irma leaving. He doesn't know anything. None of us do. You're always the cool headed one. What's happening to you cel... I'm sorry... No. That's not you. Who even are you anymore? Because it's sure as hell not celeste."  
Celeste averts her gaze to the ground, unable to stand the hatred glance of her sister peering directly into her soul. This wasn't her. Every one of phoebes words hit her like a stone to the face Because Celeste knew every one of them was true. This wasn't her. This wasn't who she was. Celeste slowly turns and begins to walk down the hallway. "I don't even know anymore."  
Celeste stepford came into the world alone. No mother. No father. Just four sisters. Two sisters she knew would never ever leave her side. Two had done so long ago. But now, in that moment, celeste knew what it was like to be truly alone.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Wood

Phoebe walked into her roomed, slamming and locking the door behind her. She finally felt safe, enclosed. Like no one could see her. They couldn't. She laid her forehead against the steel door, her hand still on the control panel to the door. Her short locks of scarlet hair fell from behind her ear, covering her face from sight on both sides. She didn't bother turning on the lights to the room. There was no point. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. Not again. Tears began to flow elegantly down her cheeks as she let out little sobs of fear and sadness. She didn't want to. She tried so hard to repress it. To be strong like celeste or Irma. But she just couldn't anymore. No one was here to tell her what a shame she brought to herself by crying. She had to admit it felt good to do it and no one being there making it worse for a change. Phoebe turned, her back against the steel door now. Her slender body slid down until her knees met her chest. She wrapped her arms comfortably around her legs and laid her hands on her knees. So this is what it was like, she wondered, to be alone. It's not the best experience of her life but it was... New. Phoebe sat there in the darkness starring into the black void of despair. She was tired of this. The drama. The pain. How could such a beautiful world hurt her so much? She hated it. Despised what it had done to esme, Sophie and now celeste and Irma. She always knew there would be a day when Irma separated. Then celeste. But she never expected it all at once. She could do anything now. She could leave. There was nothing keeping her here. She had no friends thanks to celeste. She didn't love emma as much as Irma did. She didn't love anyone for that matter. No one except her sisters. She had never experienced "love" for anyone else but them. But that was over and she knew it. Something just kept telling her that things would never be the same again. But was that such a bad thing? She shuttered at the thought but it hadn't been the first time that it had crossed her mind. She often wondered what she could have been capable of without them. Now she could finally find out.  
Her thought was interrupted by a knock. She looked back and up at the door curiously. Then the knock sounded again. But not from the door like she had originally thought. It originated from the window across the room from her. She looked cockeyed at it a moment. Who on earth could that be? Her room was after all two stories up. She arose wearily, contemplating whether it was safe to open. Whether the person was friend or foe. She walked closer until she was right up on the window. She could feel the cool air seeping in from outside. Her hand hovered over the control panel to untint the window and let her see out and whoever was out there to see in. She couldn't help but feel like this was a terrible idea. That she should get someone else's opinion before... No. That was who she was. That was the push over, the goody goody. Phoebe was determined to change.  
With that she let out a deep breath, pressing the button and looking out the window at the cool Canadian night. There leaning on the window ceil was a young blonde haired boy. On his back were Snow White wings that spread out flapping, keeping him aloft. He wore a calm cool and collected douchey smirk on his face as he peered in at phoebe. Her eyes still puffy from moments before. His name was warren worthington the third or better known as angel. One of the original xmen that had come from the past.  
Phoebe quickly opened the window, letting in a frigid gust of wind. Warren stayed fixed on her, pretending the cold didn't bother him.  
"Hey Olsen," he said with a snicker as phoebe wiped her eyes.  
"What are you doing here," phoebe asked. Her tone of voice wasn't angered or cold. Just dazed and curious. She had to admit warren was the last person she had thought to see especially after the incident earlier that morning. But there he hovered. Right outside her bedroom window. The moonlight hitting his golden locks of hair perfectly.  
"Honestly? I heard about Bobby... I thought it was really cool of you to put celeste in her place like that. Even if it was just. In the heat of the moment."  
"No it really wasn't." Phoebe retorted. "I meant everything I say. She's not celeste. Not lately. She's reckless and frankly insane. She got Scott to kiss you just to mess with Laura's head. It's utterly repulsive."  
"You said it. Not me." Warren replied with a slight laugh. "Anyways I thought you could use a friend... Looks like I was right."  
"Oh no I'm fine." She wasn't.  
"You don't look fine," he replied.  
"Well it's a good thing you're not the telepath in the room cause you'd be terrible at it."  
"Are you sure about that because from over here it looks like I'm pretty damn good at it."  
Warren flew back slightly, then extended his hand out to phoebe. He jerked his head back ushering her forward.  
"Common."  
"What?! No?! I'm perfectly fine here."  
"You're really not. Everyone's scared you'll kill yourself."  
"Professor summers put the entire building on lockdown."  
"I guess we will have to not get caught then."  
Phoebe bit her lip, looking at the boys large strong hand waiting for her to grab onto it. The old her would have smacked him for being so cocky and innocent. She defiantly would not have left with him. But this was all her now. Making her own chooses. She quick reached out and grabbed his hand, interlocking his fingers in hers. Her choice was made. Warren didn't waist a moment hesitating. He quickly pulled phoebe up, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her tightly to his chest. Phoebes hand landed on his rock hand pectoral muscle. Her heart sped up rapidly as she gazed into his cool blue eyes. His determiner did not change. As if he were use to holding someone this close.  
"Comfy?" He asked looking down at her in his arms.  
"Cozy" she responded with a smile, laying her head down on his shoulder blade, snuggling into it. She could smell the cologne on his uniform. Rich. Not something Bobby or Scott would wear. It was charming, enchanting. He flapped his large majestic wings viciously, lifting them both into the sky. They he took off. Swiftly soaring above the tops of pine trees and wilderness below. It was an amazing feeling, flying. This hadn't been phoebes first time but this time felt different. Magical. She didn't know why. Could it be the fact fact that the most charming boy in the school swept her off her feet in her time of need? Or rather that she had made the decision to be with him all on her own? The wind beat down on her, sending her red hair flapping back and forth. She head on tight, not that she had to. He had her. She knew that. Slowly, she left her grip on his red and white suit unclench until her body was in a state of relation, looking up at the winged boy. He paid her no mind. The only thing he looked at was the path in front of him. Suddenly, he jerked down, soaring towards the ground until he flew directly over it. Phoebe looked over her shoulder slightly, seeing a dark blue body under her. She giggle, letting her hand fall back into the frigid water. It dragged with her through the water. She couldn't believe this was really happening. Seconds later, phoebe retracted her hand as they reached the shore of the lake. Warrens body hovered vertically once again until he placed his feet firmly on the ground, phoebes standing on top of his. She did not want this to be over. Not so quickly. But she didn't know how to say it, or anything for that matter. She just stood dumbfounded on the boys boots, waiting for the silence to be broken. Warren took her hands off his pecs, interlocking his with hers. There faces now inches apart. He leaned in closer, his eyes growing heavy. She wanted to meet him. She wanted to so desperately but couldn't. She looked away, too scared to say anything. Warrens eyes shot open when he realized she had turned away and he leaned back, giving phoebe her space.  
"I... I'm sorry. I thought..." He started.  
"No... It's not you its just..." She sighed. "Warren. That was fun. A lot of fun. But I'm not ready yet. I think you're cute and all its just... Look today both of my sisters left me. Irma is no where to be found and celeste is going mentally insane. On top of all that, Scott summers deranged ex-wife is out to get every last one of us. I'm just... So so scared." She wrapped her arms around his waist, once again burying her head in his chest. He was shocked for a moment, not knowing what to do. He had never been a very comforting guy. To be honest all he wanted out of this was for his own selfish needs. But now he was stuck. He slowly and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her tightly.  
"I... Understand," he said reluctantly. Then he put his hands in the girls shoulders, prying her off. "Common," he said looking down at her. "Let's take a seat." Once again he took her hand in his and walked over to a large rock protruding from the ground. He sat first on the jagged edge, the points stoking into his ass. It was not comfortable but worth enduring. Then he patted his lap. Phoebe blush slightly and sat down, laying her head once again on his shoulder.  
"Sooo..." He started not really knowing what to say next.  
"Why'd you do this warren? Why'd you bring me out here?" Phoebe asked raising an eyebrow. Her and warren had never had any extended interaction and even now she felt as if he were lying. Even if he had not said anything.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Out of all the times this could have happened why now? Why me?"  
"You were hurt," he responded. "I thought you might need help getting everything off her mind."  
Phoebe looked up at him curiously. Now she knew he was lying. She could decipher the truth with just one thought. One look into his mind. It would be so easy... But it's also something celeste would do and she wasn't celeste. But... On the other hand would it be so bad just this once. Just one peak, she promised herself, one little itsy bitsy...  
"Oh," he head popped up as she saw the true reason behind warrens actions. "The kiss. You liked it?" She asked looking back at him questioningly.  
"We never..."  
"No not with me... With Scott."  
Warrens eyes widen and his pale face turns a bright red. He quickly stands, practically knocking phoebe off of him. He began to walk away.  
"N...no I didn't," he insisted, trying to remember the direction of the school.  
"Warren it's o..."  
"No!" He shouted grabbing his golden locks of hair. "No! It's not! I'm not a fucking queer ok?!"  
"Warren...," phoebe started as she walked towards him, reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder. But before he could, Warren snapped back around angrily.  
"Why can't you telepaths just mind your own..."  
"Telepaths? Plural? Oh god..." Phoebe says covering her mouth. "... Jean"  
Warren stood there huffing, his lips tightened together in anger and frustration. He was clearly trying to hold back the urge to cry. Phoebe had known the feeling. She had dealt with it so many times before.  
"Yes ok. Yes. Jean saw. She hasn't said a word to me since. She can't be with me she said. She can't be with a queer."  
"But warren... You like Scott... Why bother with jean?"  
"I don't want to like Scott, phoebe!" Warren shouted, a single tear falling down his face. "I don't..."  
Phoebe walked up, looking up into warrens eyes, wiping the tear off of his red cheeks. "Warren. It's not wrong. It's a natural feeling. There's nothing bad about it..."  
"It's goes against God."  
"Yeah well you're already kinda doing that with the wings aren't ya?" Phoebe asked with a smile. "Being gay is no more a choice then they are. I know that's hard to grasp in your time but it's true and no one will judge you for it. We all have something that makes us different. I think you need to stop worrying about what others think and worry about yourself. Cause at the end of the day there isn't a man on earth that isn't jealous of you. Gay or straight."  
Warren smiled, wrapping his arms around phoebes waist. "That... Was really sweet."  
"Ya. I'm kinda hand sweet heart of the bunch. No changing that."  
"Don't. I like it. Better then being a cold hearted bitch," warren said in reference to celeste. Phoebe giggle slightly.  
"Well we should probably get heading bac..." Phoebes sentence was cut short by the snap of a branch behind her. Warren looked up and phoebe turned around in the direction of the sound but nothing was there.  
"Phoebe?" Warren asked separating from her and walking forward towards the tree line.  
"I'm not picking up anything. Maybe it just fell. We should leave warren... This doesn't feel right." A sharp chill runs down phoebes spine. Warren wasn't listening. He ventured further ahead to where the sound had originated.  
"Hello!" He screamed out. There was no response.  
"Warren stop. I wanna go home." Phoebe said backing up towards the water. She stopped, bumping into something large behind her. Her body shook with fear as she felt the this she had bumped into, not daring to turn around. It was large, scaly and breathing. Phoebe swallowed and looked over her shoulder. There stood a figure, 8 feet tall that looked like nothing she had seen before.  
"Oh will you stop being such a baby," Warren asked turning around and then he stopped, seeing the monster ahead of him.  
Phoebe stood there, shaking, not knowing what to do. The monster raised up its long knifelike arm, ready to strike.  
"Phoebe no!" Warren ran as fast as he could to get to phoebe. He put his ar,s on her hims and pulled her back but it was too late. The monster let its arm fall, slicing phoebe through her stomach. She let out a loud high pitched scream of pain as blood started to gush out, staining her white shirt. Warren push her out of the way me stood, flaring his wings out to either side, making him look larger to the beast.  
"Run" he commanded to phoebe. She hesitated at first, not wanting to leave. Then he shouted again, more angry and affirmative this time. Phoebe got up and ran for the tree lines, holding her stomach. She ran not daring to look back as she heard the pained screams of warren behind her. Tears fell from her face as she ran. She did not know where she was going but anywhere had to be better than here.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Sinister

Madelyn Pryor trudged through the snow covered hills of Finland. The wind battered at the side of her head, flinging her ginger locks to the side of her face. She had lost track of the time. She couldn't even think of how long she had been at this. An hour? Two? Probably more. Her face was red and frigid, every part of her felt as if it were freezing over. She had no idea where she was headed. The only one who knew that was Selene, strutting carelessly in front of Madelyn, leading the way. Selene wore her usual less than family friendly attire while Madelyn wore a large black north face jacket. But the cold seemed to have no effect on Selene. She walked as if she didn't even realize it was snowing. Behind Madelyn on either side stood two men in black full body leather with spikes lining down the chest back arms and legs. Selene's hounds. The men had just two day ago been normal men. Young and vibrant, just starting adulthood. That is until Selene took control of their minds. Now they life only for one purpose, to serve their queen. The men were gagged even though they were unable to speak already. Selene did this out of pleasure. To break the men down to their core. So even if she ever did let them go, they would always be broken.  
At the head of the group there was a third hound. The one Selene had given the title of alpha. He walked on all fours, sniffing the snow covered ground, tracking the scent Selene had sent him on. He lead the four behind him. She had kept this one only a leash to make sure he didn't get too carried away. She held it with a tight grip, letting only a little line out for him. His movement were graceful and natural like he had been walking on all fours his entire life even though he had just started days ago. Once again Selena's doing of course. But soon she wouldn't have to control them telepathically anymore. Soon they would serve her willingly and completely. Once they reach their destination.  
Madelyn had her arms crossed tight over her chest and her mouth Barrie's in the collar of her jacket. She couldn't take the cold any longer. She stopped in her tracks, the hounds stopping next to her. Selene noticed after a minute and stopped, turning to face the redheaded woman. She yanked on the leash, commanding the alpha to sit still. He did so obediently.  
"Dear you really should hold onto those two. I'd hate to see them thinking there's a chance at independence ever again," Selene said gesturing at the two hounds leashes which lay in the snow. Madelyn had tired of holding them long ago and had let go. She personally didn't see the point in breaking random men. The only man she wanted to break was one that had hurt her so many times before. But Selene was different. For her this was a power trip and she wouldn't let it go. "Also dogs belong on the floor," she said glaring at the hounds. The two men immediately whimpered and squatted.  
"I tired of the games Selene. Where are you taking me? We've been wondering out her for hours following your pet and I'm starting to wonder if he can trace a sent. I mean: afar could possibly be out here that would help with our problem?"  
Selene smirked sinisterly and turned around, continuing to walk up the steep hill. "Oh trust me, you'll see in a moment." The two hounds sprinted eagerly past Madelyn to their mistress. Selene grabbed their leashes and walked to the top of the hill.  
"Cryptic bitch," Madelyn muttered under her breathe as she began to follow once again. Selene stopped at the top of the hill to wait for Madelyn.  
"I'm serious Selene. It's the middle of nowhere and cold as limbo. And trust me, I've been there. What the hell could even survive-," Madelyn stated but was cut short when she reached the top of the hill. There she saw something magnificent. Something she had not seen much in her life before. In front of her stood a seemingly ordinary mountain but carved into the side was a large research facility. Madelyn gaped in awe as Selene smiled back at her.  
"We're here."

The front door to the facility burst open to reveal Madelyn standing legs spread and hands out in front of her. She had used her telekinetic abilities to open the steel ton doors. She expected to be met with an army or at least one staggering security officer but to her surprise, no one was there. Selene strutted passed her, her hounds walking on all fours in front of her.  
"Oook?" Madelyn said dropping her arms and slowly walking in. The entrance way lead to a long hallway with what looked like an elevator at the very end. Madelyn wearily followed behind Selene who did not say a word. She just walked happily along towards the elevator. Madelyn walked slowly, looking around at the blank metallic hall.  
"Where are we?" She finally got the guts to ask.  
"Where we need to be," Selene responded as she reached the elevator. The doors swung open almost immediately and the four walked in. Selene pressed a button and the doors closed. A second later they opened in a dark room. The hounds and Selene walked in with no hesitation. But Madelyn was not sure. There was something Selene wasn't telling her. She just didn't know what yet. She stepped into the void, the elevator closing behind her, sealing off the room from any light whatsoever.  
"I didn't think you of all people who have the guts to show up here." A masculine, strong, and yet familiar voice rang out. It sent a chill through Madelyn's spine but she was never one for fear. She stood her ground, ready for anything. She had done several psychic sweeps of the room and knew there had been a man there but could not tell who. He was strong. Too strong to read.  
"What? Not happy to see little old me?" Madelyn asked with a smirk, taunting the man.  
"On the contrary-" he said. Suddenly the overhead lights flicked on, revealing the large room. It looked like a lab of some sort. Giant glass cylinders reached to the ceiling with people trapped sleeping inside, suspended in some sort of liquid. Orange. A few table and computers lay scattered around. There were to black glass walls and two steel ones. Madelyn's eyes widened as she saw the rooms most significant feature. The man. Mister sinister. "-I always have time for family."  
Nathaniel Essex had been the closest thing Madelyn ever had to a father. He was the man who clones her from jean grey. He was the man who changed her life after Scott left her. Madelyn stood speechless as she watched the man stride across the room towards Selene.  
"I have to say maddy, I'm hurt that you did not come to me sooner. You were after all my greatest creation. I was hurt to hear of your revival second wind but better late than never I suppose." Sinister turned to Selene who he was standing now uncomfortably close to. "Now I understand that you have something you must have done?"  
"Yes. I'm tired of controlling these men. I want them to be hounds. The real hounds. I need obedient mutant hunting dogs that don't need me controlling them. I want the real deal and I was told you were good with breaking men."  
Sinister bent down curiously, grabbing the cheeks of the alpha and looking into his eyes. There was nothing. Sinister then turned the alphas head and inspected both sides. He then let got and placed his hand on the man's chest, running it down the leather and feeling the man's abdominal muscles. "Interesting. Hounds you say you want? I haven't seen those since that tart was in the shadow kings employment. But I think I can do it. I must say I'm excited at the thought. I have been acting to make one. Where did you find suck perfect specimens?" He asked raising one of his blue eye brows up at Selene.  
"Two hit on Maddy and I while we were eating and one was a bell hop."  
"Mmm well they got what they deserved and I bet you're doing the bell hop a favor." With that sinister stood, clapping his hands loudly. Two androids entered the room. Sinister took the leases from Selena's hands and handed it them to the androids. They lead the hounds out for training.  
"Come sit. We have much to discuss," sinister insisted, walking over to a sofa sitting in front of the ominous black glass wall. Selene followed, sitting next to the man. Madelyn stood in front of the couch, facing sinister. She had no desire to sit. Her body stood tense, glaring down at Selene.  
"You lied to me!" Madelyn accused, point her finger out angrily at Selene. "You said you were going to help me."  
"That's why we are here," Selene replied  
"He's not going to help us. Sinister is a vein selfish man who-"  
"-Wants exactly what we do." Selene interjected finishing Madelyn's sentence for her. "He knows more about scott summers then you or I. He's also been alive while we were gone and can shed some light on what's been happening."  
"And then what? He doesn't do anything for free. He'll want something of us."  
"All he wants is to do experiments on any the original Xmen after we win. He wants the same thing we do maddy."  
"It's true." Sinister agreed. "My dear Madelyn. I've always loved you. I would never dare hurt you. All I want is revenge on that wretched man for what he has done to you. Please let me have that." Madelyn glares with no reply. Sinister then let's out a long sigh. "Fine. If you don't believe me then believe this. The other day, my scouts were searching the Canadian wilderness and found something extraordinary. Our secret weapon against summers." Sinister snaps his fingers and the black glass behind Madelyn turns clear and she turns around. As she does, she gasps and places her hand over her mouth.  
The glass wall shone into a large room where on the wall across from then, there lay a shirtless blonde head boy wearing only a yellow speedo. He stood pinned to the wall. White wings spread out behind him, tacked down with metal spike through them. His arms and legs were spread to either side, also tacked to the wall, the large steel spikes penetrating through his flesh. Two tubes were on either side of him, pumping a substance into his body. Up on his head there was a set of wires tacked into his skull. A red ball gag was tightened around his mouth, muffling the boys screams.  
Madelyn almost fainted. She felt herself growing weak in the knees as she walked up to the glass, placing her hand on it. The boy saw her and frantically began to thrash about, scream through the gag. The screams, though muffled, were more than screams. He was calling out a name. A name Madelyn knew all too well. "Jean."  
Then a strong electrical jolt surged through the wires into the boy's brain. He jolted his head back in pain and then fell unconscious.  
"Can you believe it? I found that one dying, bleeding out. So I take him back here and fix him up and that's the thanks I get." Sinister said, setting a remote device down next to him. "Oh well that usually shuts the brat up. I lost my chance with that boy once. I won't lose it again. Just like you."  
Sinister gets up and walks over to Madelyn. Slowly he puts his arm around her waist and stares down at the winged boy with her. He was no more the 17 or 18. Younger then the first time sinister had experimented on him. He then looked back to maddy who couldn't take her eyes off the boy. "I won't lose either of you ever again. He'll come around and when he does we will take down summers together. You have my word Madelyn. Things will finally be right."  
"J-just please don't kill him." She said not able to take her eyes off the angel in the other room.  
"Of course not. Never. I love him. Just as I love you. But he just needs improvements. This time I will make him perfect."  
With that sinister turned to leave, Selene following him out, grabbing onto his arm. Madelyn says; watch the boy, hoping for him to stir. To show any sign of life. But he does. His blonde hair hangs draped over his face. His head hung low. A tear falls down Madelyn's face as she calls out his name in a whisper to herself. "Warren." She's hoped he would respond. That he would look up. But, of course, he does not.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: School Days

Laura walked into class. She couldn't believe that they'd even be having it with the events as of late but they weren't notified against it. There were barely anyone in the room and the ones who were there, mainly Scott's students, we're going crazy and screaming to the tops of their lungs. Laura groaned I'm the back of the room she saw Jean grey sitting alone. Hank McCoy sat in front of her but he was too busy reading to pay any mind to her.

Usually Jean was surrounded by people, mainly kitty's students, but today that wasn't the case. Laura looked around the room in hopes of seeing where the rest of her group was but they were nowhere to be found. She knew after his fight with wolverine, young scott was in the infirmary. But she still had no clue where bobby or warren were. Then she noticed something else odd. The stepford cuckoos were missing too. All three of them.

She supposed it'd be scarier if only one were here without the rest but it still gave Laura a chill down her spine.

Laura walked to the back of the class and sat down next to Jean. She waited for Jean to object to her sitting down or to at least acknowledge her presents but to her surprise Jean just sat there as if she were in some type of trance. She stared at the group of students bickering at the front of the class room. Laura looked over to them then back at Jean.

"Umm mind if I sit here?" Laura asked. Jean did not respond. "Jean!" Laura said louder. Jean blinked her eyes and looked around and then up at Laura. She seemed startled. It took her a moment to decipher what Laura was asking for but then she said "of course" with a smile on her face. It was fake. Laura knew Jean wasn't happy to see her. But she couldn't tell if it were personal or if it were the events of late.

The two sat in silence a moment then Laura spoke up. "So where warren and bobby?" She asked.

Jean face turned from a happy go lucky smile to an angered look. Her fists clench into a ball on her desk. "Celeste happened. She nearly killed bobby in the halls. All because of the psychic block I put so she couldn't make him her slave boy. Now he's in the infirmary and get this, Celeste gets off scott free. Bitch is lucky she didn't show her face in class today. And warren..." Jean started but then bit her tongue. She knew she couldn't say it aloud. She couldn't give up his secret.

"Yes? Warren. What happened?" Laura persisted.

"That's my fault too. I... I read his mind and found out something... Something I was not suppose to know. I... I told him I still loved him but he... He got so angry and... Oh god Laura. His eyes. I've never seen so much hate in them. So much resentment. He flew off and I heard he took phoebe with him. He's been gone since last night." Tears rolled down jeans face as she once again looked forward, unable to deal with what she had done. "... I really screwed everything up. Now old scott won't even talk to me. I know Madelyn's coming for me and him. I know she is. I just know it. But he won't say two words to me. He hates me too. They all do. I'm going to die here Laura. At the hands of that vindictive bitch and no one will miss me." She sobbed out.

Laura patted her back, unsure of what exactly todo here. She had never had to comfort someone before. All Laura knew todo was obey orders. She never had todo something like this. She had heard somewhere that girls like the truth. Maybe that could help. "You're a bitch," Laura blurted out.

"Gee thanks," Jean said with a slight giggle threw her tears.

Laura smiled, it was working. "You get all the guys and you break all the hearts. Ya. It's true. But we don't hate you. Whatever warren was mad at, he's fine. Probably safer wherever he is than here anyways. Celeste would have beat bobby anyway. Something going on with that girl. Something not even her sisters understand. It's not cause of anything you did. And scott not talking to you that's only cause kitty threatened to kill him if he did."

"Wait what?" Jean asked wiping aways her tears.

"Ya, because he's so much older then you, she was scared he might do something he'd regret if you two talked alone together so she..."

Kitty at that moment walking into the classroom and sets a pile of book on the desk.

"You bitch!" Jean yells standing up.

"The class goes quiet and everyone takes a seat. Their eyes all fixated on kitty waiting for her response.

Kitty looks up shocked at jeans language towards her. At first she hesitates on scolding her. After all the original Jean grey was older then her but this version, she was 16 and her out burst was totally uncalled for.

"Ms. Grey!" Kitty screamed back in shock.

"Oh shut up." Jean said back, walking up to the middle of the room. "You aren't going todo shit. What can you do? Sent me to the principle? Oh wait... You have forbidden him to set foot in the same room as me." Jean stated getting up in kitty's face.

Kitty stood there in shock, not sure how to respond. "You... He wasn't supposed to tell you."

"Oh he didn't have to. You had to have known I'd find out eventually. Who do you think you are? He's basically my husband and I'm not aloud to talk to him?!"

"I think I'm your teacher and he's not your husband Jean. He's a very confused man and you're a very confused girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means with the way you've been going around the student body, I would have thought you'd lost interest in scott a long time ag..."

Kitty is cut short when Jean slaps her across the face. Then Jean storms out, using her telekinetics to slam the door behind her.

The class is silent for a moment as kitty rubs her face. Then a student in the front of the room begins to laugh. Hijack. He was much too old to be classified as a student but he was a new mutant nonetheless.

"That was brilliant! Just amazing!" He carried on, clapping his hands in entertainment. "I'm guessing she wasn't like this the first five times she came back?"

Kitty glared at him angrily. "Shut up hijack. It's a wonder scott let you back in here." She said, turning back to her desk.

"Hey, I earned my right to be here. I crashed the damn hellicarrier for that man? All you did was throw a bitch fit cause your boy friend freezes over Manhattan and you left doop at the alter. And cyclops just hands you the keys to the fortress."

"If I remember correctly your crashing the hellicarrier was a bitch fit." Kitty retorted with a smirk.

"Be proud of that comment pryde. My only point here is you're not a teacher. You're a spoiled rotten girl who thinks she's important when really we could all care less. I bet you don't even know what's happening right now. After all you have missed Madelyn each blasted time right? For the first breakdown you were with Excalibur with that God awful costume. For the second you were lost in space and now look here you stand with not a clue how to protect us."

"That's enough!" Kitty snapped back. She walked up to hijacks desk and leaned forward, getting in his face. "I've been with the xmen since the Phoenix force. I know what I'm doing. I may have not dealt with some second rate clone with daddy issues but I've dealt with the real deal. So you sit there on your high horse hijack but when Madelyn comes knocking on our door I bet you'll be hiding behind this inexperienced brat." She stood straight. "That goes for the rest of you too. I know I'm new here but I am a teacher and I will have respect. Is that understood?"

The class nods.

"Miss pryde," Eva bell, a new Australian mutant speaks up. "I apologize for hijack. I think we are just all on edge. Have you heard anything from professor cyclops?"

"No... He's going through something at the moment... But I assure you everything will be fine."

Laura walks up to the front of the class and pushed threw the two, on her way out of the class. Kitty grabs her arm and hold her back. "Where are you going Laura? Class just started."

Laura looked back into kitty's green eyes, not saying a word at first. Then she yanks her arm out of kitty's grasp.

"I have someone to look after... And hopefully make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Now You See Me...

*Beep*Beep*Beep*

Scott awoke. A consecutive beep sounded throughout the room. It would send out an electronic beep every second like a life support machine. Scott's eyes opened wearily. He could barely keep them open but when he could mange to keep them open, even if it were only a moment, he saw a white ceiling over his head. A florescent light shine down onto his, blinding him at first. He couldn't tell where he was. He couldn't even remember how he had gotten here. He felt strange. His body was numb. Very numb. He raised his hands to his face and squeezed them into a fist. He could barely feel his fingers tighten into the first. As he awoke more, he began to feel a slight stinging sensation on his neck. He ran his hand down his face and to his neck. There he could feel something like a cushion. No a bandage. It is was rectangular and ran from the back of his neck to the front, stopping at his Adam's apple. He sat there and felt it a moment, bobbing up and down as he salivated. He was thirsty. He found it hard to concentrate at all for some reason. His mind was clouded. He felt helpless like a two year old. No. He had to try. Try to remember. Then it hit him. Every memory of the day before flooding into his brain at once. His eyes shot open, illuminating the ruby red visor he wore over them and he shot up.

"Laura!" He screamed out sitting straight up in the bed. Then he remembered, he wasn't there anymore. He wasn't in the woods. But where was he.

Scott panted heavily as he looked around the room. To his right was a wall. His bed was the last in a long row of spaced medical beds across the room. The beeping persisted. It was louder now he felt. Or perhaps it was just that he was more coherent and could hear it better now. Scott looked out across the rows of beds. Most were empty... All were empty except on two beds down. At first Scott couldn't make out the persons face. Just the fact that they, whoever they were, were hooked up to a life support machine. Scott wanted to get up. He wanted to see who it was. He didn't know why but something felt... Familiar about the person. He started to lift his leg up but then winced and stopped.

Logan had done a number on him. He wasn't able to get up. His legs felt like they had been broken, battered, like they were trapped under a house. The weight crushing each of the bones to pieces. He groaned slightly and sat back against the back board of the bed. He let out a loud sigh and through his head back. To look up at the ceiling.

"Well would you look at that you're finally awake." A voice said to the left of Scott in the direction of the body.

Scott looked up expecting it to have been the person who said it but when he looked, there next to him stood celeste stepford. She stood leaning against the bed next to Scott's, blocking any view of the figure in the other bed.

His eyes widen in shock when he saw her. He hadn't heard any doors open and hadn't noticed her in the room before. Had she been there this whole time? Scott looked at her confused for a moment not knowing what to say. He looked around the room expecting phoebe or Irma to be nearby. But again no one was in sight. He looked back at celeste even more confuse then before. Seeing her alone and not dressed in her normal school girl attire was odd and almost frightening. She looked so much more like emma now with her strapless white top that barely covered her belly and skinny jeans. She ran her hand back through her long blonde hair, pushing it out of her face. She was waiting for him to say something.

"Uh... Celeste?" He asked wearily. He never did trust her and after what happened the other day she trusted her even less.

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

Celeste stood up straight and walked closer to Scott's bed. She leaned over and brushed her hand back through his should brown hair. He blushes slightly but tried to keep a straight and stern face like his older self would. "What? A girl can't come see a guy she's worried about?" She asked letting her hand trail down to his cheek. "After all I heard you took quite a beating from the father in law." She said with a smirk. Scott did not reciprocate. She sighed and removed her hand, letting both clutch the rails on the side of the bed. "Fine. You're not as dumb as you grow up to be. Look kid I'm gonna give it to you straight. You grow up to marry a psycho bitch that's gonna make it her life goal to ruin you and you've made plenty of other enemies that will be happy to help her do it. That's why the Xmen came here the other day and partially why wolverine wanted you dead." She backed up and began to walk down the rows of beds away of Scott. "Now don't get me wrong she's an amazing girl. Clones United and all that. Her only mistake in life was being around you. Yes Scott that's right you cheated on her. You broke her heart to get with Jean grey and you and I both know you are still madly in love with that red headed Hartlett. My advice, drop her. Hell, just give up love all together. Laura, Jean, Maddy, m..." She stops herself and stammers slightly. "I mean emma. They all got or will get hurt by you. They'll all end up dead because of you eventually. So quit Scott. Guys like you weren't made to love. They were meant to lead." She turns and walks next to the bed with the person on it tsks slightly under her breathe as she looks down at the figure and then she looks back to Scott. "People you love, people you care about, they will always end up like this." She pulls the body up right. It's Bobby drake. His face was beaten and horribly disfigured. His now was broken and he had tape all around his chest. Scott gasped and held his hands to his mouth. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to run to him. To hold Bobby in his arms. But he couldn't. After a second he looks back to celeste, tears filling in his eyes. He drops his fists to the side of his body and glares at the girl. She sits Bobby gently back down, leaning back over to look down on him sympathetically.

"Who?" Scott asked through gritted teeth.

"You Scott. He went to go help you when he heard Laura scream in the woods. Wolverine attacked him. It's not Logan's fault. He's nothing more then a dog. He's stupid and didn't know any better. Him and Laura they're just good for taking orders. The real person at fault here is you." She said walking back over to him slowly. "You led Laura out the back. You didn't even try to put up a fight with logan. You were pitiful. You're father would be so ashamed. I know the older you was and that guy killed Xavier. You're never going to become anything but a man who time and time again leads the people he loves to death and it's all because you care for them too much." She stated now back leaning against the bed next to Scott nonchalantly.

"W-why are you telling me all of this?" He stammered holding back tears.

"Because I love you Scott summers. I always have. Ever since that first day you broke into my company."

"What?" Scott asked confused.

Celeste's eyes widen and she put her hand to her head. She looked sick. Like she was about to pass out. "N-no. I meant I felt bad. I felt bad about what I did to you and warren the other day. It was just a joke. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"It didn't hurt that badly but-"

Celeste smiles sinisterly, looking up and suddenly better then before. "Oh not you. You mean he didn't tell you? Hahaha oh thank god. I knew he would save something like this for me. Warren is..." Just as celeste is about to blurt out the last word, the doors to the room burst open. Scott looks over to see Jean grey rushing towards him with Laura trying her best to keep up behind Jean.

"You're awake!" Laura cries out happily running to Scott's side.

"Ya I was just talking to..." He looked next to him. His smile fades when he realizes celeste is no longer there. He looks around the room for any sign of the girl but she is nowhere to be found.

"Talking to who?" Laura asks concerned.

"No one... I'm really doped up on pain killers... I think my minds playing tricks on me." He says smiling back at Laura. "I know they must be because for a second it looked like you were happy to see me." He says raising an eyebrow.

Laura rolls her eyes. "I'm your dreams summers. I was just following Jean. She's kinda had a ruff day." Laura steps out of the way and looks behind her. Jean is two beds down sitting next to Bobby. She held his hand in hers. Scott looks away, not being able to bare the site he had caused.

"Warren went missing." Laura said turning back to Scott. "With phoebe."

"When?"

"Last night. Scott I know you and him have your problems but I have to help Jean find him. She's really broken up about it."

"No you're right. You need to go. Warren is my teammate and we need him here. Laura just watch after her ok?" Scott says gesturing his head to Jean.

"Oh?"

"She's not right here. She doesn't belong here. She never did. Everything that's happened, it's really messed her up. Just make sure she doesn't do anything stupid ok?"

Laura smiles softly looking deeply into his visor. "Of course."

She didn't need him to say anything else. She knew it was a compliment. He wasn't worried about her. For once Laura was the put together one. For once she didn't feel so on the bottom and she never wanted that feeling to leave her. She whistles to Jean and the two walk out. On her way out Jean made eyes contact with Scott and shot him a smile. He smiled back.

As soon as the door closes he looks back next to his bedside where celeste had once stood. What was she about to say before she left? What was up with warren? Was it why he was missing? Or was it nothing? All some figment of Scott's imagination. He sat there for a moment just surveying the room. It was empty, silent. The only noise was that of the life support beeping with every growing second. So why if time was growing did it feel so much like a count down?

*Beep*Beep*Beep*


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Search**

Jean stumbled clumsily behind Laura as the two trudged through the snow. She could barely walk. The snow was up to her knees here. She had always wondered what possessed Scott to pick this as a location for the school. A place that had been the birth of so many atrocities. So many lives broken and viscously murdered. All in the name of science. Now they slept there. In the very rooms of so many mutants before them. Jean had always thought the idea of it was sick. They should burn the place to the ground, not seek refuge in it.  
A slightly shutter when through Jean as a glib of snow fell into her boot, making contact with her skin. She couldn't bare the cold. She never could. She always preferred the warmth of the fire or the feeling of her feet buried in the hot sand of the beach... She thought about this for a moment, pondering over the idea of fire. Did she really like it? Or had it just been the Phoenix laying dormant inside of her?  
The others were convinced Jean had not yet been exposed to the force that it all occurred later in her life. But Jean wasn't so sure. Her powers were growing and growing fast. She had already surpassed Emma frost and the cuckoos. It was only a matter of time before her power surpassed her older versions power. Could it be what hank thought? That a result of figuring out she could do all of this set the powers off? Or was it something dark? Something growing inside of her with every second, syphoning her power like some parasite, waiting for its chance to strike? The thought made her want to barf.  
Jean looked up at Laura who was further ahead of her, sniffing the air for any trace of warren and the direction he flew last night. Jean was sure it wouldn't be hard to smell him. He wore thick cologne most of the time. It covered his body and wings as if she bathed in the stuff. If that didn't set Laura off the smell of his hair gel might. He's so fake, Jean thought to herself. He tries to look good so no one will see who he really is. A flaming fa... Jean stopped herself. She shook her head in disbelief at these awful thoughts. This wasn't her. She had never wished ill on anyone that didn't deserve it and warren didn't. She was using his just as much as he was using her to get back at Scott. It was kind of funny now that she thought about it. They both dated each other to stay away from him. To make him want them. It didn't work.  
No, Scott was set on someone else. Jean knew that. Part of her hated Laura for it. Jean didn't want Scott. At least she didn't believe she did until Laura came along. Now he's all she could think about.  
Jean stopped, leaning her back against a tree. The bark was ruff and stuck into her back. The pine needles scraped the sides of her face as they rustled in the wind. She didn't mind. She was tired. Tired of the walking, the cold, the drama. She wanted to go back home. She wanted everything to go back to the way they were. They wouldn't. Even if the professor wiped their minds, she'd uncover it. She'd remember every little thing sooner or later.  
"Stop..." Jean commanded Laura.  
Laura stopped and turned to face the girl. She was farther through then Jean had been and she didn't care for breaks. Laura was a solider. A hardened troop to serve any mission she was given. That mission was to find warren, not to baby sit Jean grey.  
She was beginning to regret bringing Jean along. If she did not hurry the trail would grow cold. It was already hard enough with jeans scent and Scott sent from the jacket of his she wore floating around her. She did not mind though. She liked it, the smell of Scott in the jacket. It made her feel safe. She knew she could take anything the world threw at her but with Scott, it didn't seem so scary. She didn't feel so alone. Even if he was in the infirmary, the scent could let Laura trick herself into thinking Scott was right here next to her.  
However, this was hard with his ex girlfriend whining at every mile marker. Laura sighed and crossed her arms over her stomach.  
"Warren..."  
"Can wait. Did you think I came out here to find warren?" Jean asked rolling her eyes.  
"I figured. I mean he is missing. You do like him." Laura said blatantly. She had no time for the girl's petty games. Warren and phoebe could be in trouble and all Jean wanted to do was start a fight. It was so childish. Laura began her journey again, not caring if Jean followed behind or not.  
"What do you think you're doing Laura?" Jean continued. "He's not going to be here forever you know. Scott and I are going back one day along with the rest. We are going to make history and you're not in it. So what's your end game here? What do you modestly believe is going to happen?" Jean stated following once again behind Laura.  
"Nothing is happening. We are friends."  
"You're wearing his jacket. Let me guess you saw him naked? Mostly naked? He was all bossy but you didn't care. You thought it was cute because of his scrawny chest that somehow manages to still have abs on them? Then he gets sent to the hospital and you think he's even cuter. So innocent. So helpless. You want to take care of him right. Be by his bedside and do everything he asks. Then you want him to kiss you. But not just anywhere. You want it to happen in that damn lab am I right? The one Logan was created in? You want him to force you into the computers and..."  
"Stay out of my head!" Laura growls snapping back at Jean. Her claws snikt out of her skin in a fit of rage.  
"We get married Scott and I. You will never be anything to him. Oh but your dad will. And I tell you right here, right now, I'm starting to see the reason Scott hated Logan so much. He was afraid of the feelings he had. But then he found you. The perfect girl copy to get all of his pent up sexual frustration out on."  
Laura jumped up into the air, pouncing on the young redhead. Just as her body was inches from jeans face, it stopped. The claws just barely touching the girl's forehead. Jean smirks slightly, her eyes glowing a light pink. "Nice try." Then with a wave of her hand, she sent Laura flying back into the tree line.  
Laura flew through the air until she came to a clearing outside of the Forrest. It was a beach on the edge of the lake. The snow was thinner here. Mostly melted. Which made the impact of the fall all the more painful.  
Laura winced and struggled to her feet. She knew she couldn't win against Jean. But what brought all this on? She never acted this way before. So brash and impulsive. So angry. So confused.  
Laura stopped on her knees and starred down at the ground. Her nostrils flared as she did. He had been here. The sand smelt of that cheep cologne. He had lied down here for an extended amount of time. And then she smelt something else. Iron. Lots and lots or iron.  
A moment later Jean came running out of the woods. She was ready for a fight. Her fists lay clenched at her sides as she scanned the beach for Laura. This wasn't over for her. She was done being the punching bag. She was done with everything changing. She wanted scott hers and warren straight again. This was all Laura's fault. She knew it was. It had to be. It just... Had to.  
Who was she kidding? It wasn't Laura's fault at all. It wasn't anyone's fault. Warren was who he was and if scott was meant to be with her, he would in time. She sighed, letting her body relax. She began to walk down the beach in search of Laura but saw no one.  
A puddle splashed underneath her feet. She looked down in disgust as it seeped into her shoe. Down at her feet lay a dark red puddle covering the bottom of the boot. She gasped and stammered back, not begin able to take her eyes off the puddle. Then she noticed it. Splatters of blood lay stained on the rocks and in the sand. The entire beach was covered in the remnants of a bloody brutal battle.  
Laura came out of the tree lines, seeing Jean shocked in awe. "Jean!" She cried out. "You might want to see this.  
Jean rushed over without hesitation. Her previous malice towards Laura was now replaced with fear. The fear of what happened to warren.  
"There were three on the beach," Laura said as she began to walk back into the tree line. "Warren phoebe and something else. Something not human. The blood is mostly warrens on the beach. But phoebes lead through the woods." Laura stopped and bent down to examine the ground. "Phoebe gave out here. She passed out most likely. Then there are four other scents. One is male. The rest are female. All adolescence."  
"What does any of that mean?" Jean asked uncomfortably, trying to keep herself together.  
"It means someone took phoebe well before warren was found. I'd say he was dead but you and I are still here so that just begs the question: who took warren worthington?"


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Control

Warren awoke, his head hung low as the gravity ferociously pulled his body to the ground to no avail. Every inch of warren screamed in pain. His wings, hands, and feet all had metal rods suck through them, keeping his aloft on the wall. The area around the spikes had been burned and Catheterized to prevent bleeding or infection. On either side of his head, two silver implants were stuck on his temples. On the surface they appeared to be two silver circle but they were kept into place not blue glue but metal pricks that stuck into warrens head.

His body trembled in terror as he looked up around the empty room. There was nothing, no one, except for a podium in the middle of the room. It looked like some kind of computer system. Warren had wondered what it would be used for but didn't spend too much time pondering the subject.

His eyes dart to the spikes placed in both of his hands.

"Oh god..." He said in disbelief. He had hoped it had all been a dream. He had hoped he had just imagined it all. The monster, phoebe, the kiss with scott. He wanted it to all be a dream. A horrible horrible nightmare. He thought it was. It had to have been.

Warrens eyes glanced up at the window above. The other day he could have sworn he saw her. Jean. Well at least an old version of Jean. He knew he had seen her in the arms of that man. That devil. They were talking so calmly while watching him. Whoever she was, if she truly was, she did not care. She would gladly let him die here.

Warren head dropped once again in shame. He clench his hands into a fist. The bone and muscle flexed and rubbed against the metal spike and warren let out a moan of pain.

He wanted to die. He wanted this all to end. He was ready to end it since they had gotten here. No one was who they should be. All warren wanted todo was go home. Now he may never get that chance.

A few seconds passed before the door to the lab slid open. Warren looked up and saw him standing there. A smug smirk plaster on his pale blue face. Warrens body trembled once again, a cold chill running down his spine which lay pressed against the cool metal wall. He had only seen the man once before. Yesterday when he was brought in. He saw him briefly but kept blacking out. Then he woke up here already nailed into place and stripped of all clothing except a yellow speedo. The man had not said two words to warren yet. He did not have to. Warren already knew the man intentions could be nothing but sinister.

The man walked up to Warren and stood In front of the boy, his broad chest almost touching warrens scrawny yet muscular frame. He did not say anything for a moment. He just stood there, starring into warren blue eyes. He seemed to be observing warren. Every inch of his face. He was studying it, storing it as if it were a sight he'd never see again.

Warren dropped his head in fear, his long blonde hair draping over his face. The man grabbed warren by the chin and hoisted his head up to once again look in his eyes. In them warren saw nothing. Nothing but a black void of despair. Warren cringed, shutting his eyes and trying to look away but the mans grip was firm. Warren opened his eyes once again to look at the man. This time the man was not looking at warrens face but his wings which had been spread and tacked down to the wall. Blood stains ran down the white feathers from the pins.

The man let go of warrens chin and placed his hand on the boys shoulder. "You are beautiful..." He said. His hand trailed down warrens chest slowly, running over every ab, ever pec, every chiseled feature, tracing them. "So young, vibrant, powerful, full of life and untainted." His hands stopped as they reached the speedo.

Warren cringed fearing the worst but then sinister withdrew his hands and folded them behind his back.

"God how lucky I am. You see when I found you, the first you, he had been horribly disfigured by apocalypse. He was beyond my work. But you, you magnificent young man, you're perfect. You've never had anything done to you. So young. So naive. You'll be so easy to break. So fun to play with."

"P-please... Just let me go! I'll do anything! Just please don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" Sinister asked shocked. "My boy you misunderstand me. I only wish to make you better. To remake you in my image. To make you perfect."

"Oh god" warren said, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "Oh god just kill me! Please!"

"No no no. You got away from me once no let you slip through my finger tips. I was so busy worrying with Jean grey and Scott summers I completely over looked you. And then I just stumble onto you in the woods, it was fate my boy. Pure fate."

"You're insane!" Warren screamed through the tears. "You have to get me down. Please! I'll work for you. I-I'll do anything. You can remake me. I promise. Just let me down!" He sobbed and pleaded.

Sinister only smiled. He began to walk back slowly to the computers and stood behind them.

"No. You won't be obedient. They never are at first. We have no time to waist with training. You're special my boy. Very special. And you will be my greatest work of art."

Sinister a button on the screen before him and two robotic arms pop down from the ceiling in front of either of warrens wings. Warrens glances dart back and forth between the two nervously. He couldn't do this. He struggle viciously to get free. The skin and bones rubbed against the pins keeping him down. His hands and feet began to gush blood. Warren screamed in pain and continued to no avail. Sinister smiled and walked calmly over to the boy as he thrashed and screamed.

Sinister only smiled a wicked smile. He stopped in front of the boy and raised his hand to warrens head.

Slowly sinister began stroking the boys golden locks of hair, combing them back behind his ear. "Shhhh," he cooed. "It will be ok. It doesn't hurt."

Warren stopped thrashing and sat there sobbing and panting wildly. Sinister pulled the boys head to his shoulder and buried the boys eyes in his strong blue neck, letting warrens tears run down his suit. He continued to stroke the back of warrens hair to calm him down.

"All you've ever wanted is a family warren. A family who loves you. Who excepts you for who you are. Here you are my gift. I will never let you go. You are safe now. Son."

"Please... Let me go! I'm not your son." Warren pleaded.

"No. Not yet. But you will be. And I will be your father. You just need a little bit of tuff lo..."

Warren chomps down hard on sinister a neck, causing it to shoot out blood. Black blood. "Aargh" sinister wailed stammering back and holding his hand to the area to stop the bleeding.

"That's it." Sinister said angrily grabbing the red ball gag that had been in warren mouth the day before. "Time for a time out." He shouted forcing the gag into warrens mouth and tightening it as tight as he could behind the boys head. Then he went back, picking up four small pieces of white tape and walked back over to warren. He back to apply the tape the boys eye lids, keeping them open as wide as he could.

"This is why we must do this boy. I just can not trust you!"

Warren screamed out apologetically, trying to win the mans favor but it was too late. He made his choice. Sinister walked behind the computer and looked back up at warren who lay screaming on the way.

"You had your chance. You had my trust. I would have given you everything. But you don't see that do you? I wanted you. I wanted you as my son boy. But you want to bite like an animal, I will make you an animal. The family could always use another hound."

This that sinister pressed a button. Red liquid filled the tubes that stuck into warrens body, bumping the boy full of it. Gallons and gallons flowing into his system at once. It burned as it did yesterday. Warren felt it running through his body through his blood stream, burning everything in its path. He let out a pained scream, muffled by the gag.

Sinister hit another button and the robotic arms turned on. They shot a thin laser like device, cutting through the skin of warrens wings. The shear pain would knock anyone out at once. Maybe even kill them. But there was something about the substance sinister was pumping into warren... It kept him awake. Awake for the horror that was yet to come.

Sinister pressed one last button with a crude smirk and the lights dimmed. A video began to play behind sinister. They were pictures. Some with the xmen, crossed out in red and some with hounds, the servants on the shadow king, highlighted in green. Each picture would fall back into a spiral and spun around in it until it disappeared into the center. A voice came on over it.

"I am a hound. My purpose is todo my masters bidding. I exist for sinister."

This message repeated on and on. Sinister began to walk towards the door. "You really should have excepted it warren. Being my son is a rewarding experience. But make no mistake. Son or hound, I will have you and you will be my greatest achievement."

In the room above, Madelyn Pryor stood, watching in horror as warren screamed in agony below. She bit her lip and cringed as she watched the robotic arms, peeling away at the wings. She watched in awe as the pure Snow White feathers of the boy gracefully fluttered to the ground. She couldn't help but feel awful. She never wanted this to happen. Not to him. She had always liked warren. She viewed him as a kindred spirit. Both had been taken advantage of, used for a sick bastard gain. Now they shared the same sick bastard. She felt closer to him then ever.

She wanted to go down and stop the program, stop all of this. But each second another feather fell to the ground. The damage was done. The boy would never recover from this. He would always hate himself. Madelyn knew. She also knew this was better for him. To be one of Selenes mindless hounds then to have to live with this memory. The memory of torture stained on his young mind.

Two snaps rang out behind her and the glass view of warren dimmed to a tinted wall of glass. Madelyn spun around startled. She had believed she was the only one here. But there on the couch sat Selene. The queen of the dead. She sat with her legs curled up in front of her on the couch.

"I think that's enough of that," she said with a sinister smile on his lips. She wanted trouble. Madelyn knew she did. Madelyn stood with her arms crossed glaring at the woman.

She was angry. Not because of warren but because Selene brought her here. To house of the man who ruined her. Who created her all because of a sick hang up with Jean grey.

"Ooooh I struck a nerve," Selene said playfully biting down on her finger nail. Madelyn did not bother smiling back.

"Oh come now maddy you aren't actually mad," Selene said raising her eyebrow. "He is going to help us."

"He's a monster!"

"He's had his moment maddy but he's making amends. Look he even tried to get you a bother... Looks like he'll be more of a pet but hey it works." She said with a shrug.

"You don't care do you? He's torturing a child!"

"I'm pretty sure warrens 18"

"Selene! He's brainwashing a kid down there! Warren is a person!"

"So is scott." Selene retorted. The room went silent as the two starred at each other. One waiting for the other to respond, the other having nothing to say to the other. "That's right, Daddy's little girl, you want to torture scott. Destroy him? Kill him? Make him your slave? Well he's a person. You're just too blinded by your own vendetta to see it Hun."

"He's different."

"How? His sins weigh more now? No ones a saint sweety. He broke your heart. Boo hoo. You know what most girls do when their he cheats on them? Slash his tires, tell people he has herpes, smash his pipes. But you want to know the number one thing girls do when he cheats on them? They move the fuck on! You've been chasing this boy for 20 years. You even came back to life just to spite him. So don't you sit there on your high horse and pretend sinister is worse then you. Cause you're just as bad as he is."

"I'm nothing like him," Madelyn said in disgust.

Selene sat back and smiled. Then she began to laugh. Cackle evilly. "You think your better then daddy dearest. Then Prove it. Do the thing he could never do. Win."

Madelyn smirks and walks over, sitting down next to Selene. "Shouldn't be hard. I have experience dealing with him and with you behind me, I have this one already wrapped up."

"Oh do you? Here babes let me offer you some advice. You're a bitch. The worst of the worst. Madelyn fucking Pryor. But you've been out of the game a while. You're no longer the picture of evil vengeance you use to be."

"Get to the point Selene." Madelyn groaned starting to get offended.

"The hounds, I stole that idea."

"Ya I know."

"But you don't know why. They're a game. Practice if you will. The hounds were real men once. Real men that I broke. That I molded to be mine. You see I started reading this book, the fountain head, and in it a guy talks about breaking a man. You don't do it with chains and whips, he said, you do it by breaking the soul. If you break a mans will he can't recover. He will serve you forever. He'll never stray because you are all he knows. So I break the hounds for fun. Do you know what I do Madelyn? The mind control, it's not just that. While they are under, sleeping, whenever I see fit, I place these thoughts in their minds. These scenes of the people they love, those closest to them, telling them they hate them, beating them, cheating them. Of course the hounds expressions don't change on the outside but they'll never go back to normal. Not even if the xmen somehow win. They're mine now. They will always want to be."

"Why are you telling me this."

"Because I think you can use it. I think you know a man close to the breaking point. I think you know someone you can manipulate. Someone who will obey every word you say. Someone who loves you. And I think if you can get under that persons skin we might win this thing." Selene said with a sinister grin.

Madelyn smiled back. "I know just the man."

"Ahem."

The two girls turn to see sinister walking into the room with his arms folded behind his back. He had a strong stride. A confident one. One that would strike fear into his enemies. He walked towards the couch, sending a look to Selene. She smiled and got up without hesitation.

"That's my que. See you around, m." With that she walked out, leaving out the door sinister had come in.

He now stood infront of Madelyn. The two were locked in eye contact. Neither dared say a word to the other in fear of the response. He held out his hand to help Madelyn up. She refused it, standing up on her own.

"I trust your stay was well last night?" He asked withdrawing his hand and raising his eyebrow.

"Sure if I were able to tune out the wails of your pet projects."

"Warren was sleeping sound as a..."

"The hounds weren't. They kept me up all night."

"Their training is more painful my dear. I'm teaching them to search for mutants. It's a time consuming project especially with humans. The blonde one keeps wetting himself. I could use a psychics assistance."

"Hmm I'm sure Selene will be happy to.."

"Madelyn. Why do you avoid me? I'm doing this, all of this, to please you." He states running the back of his fingers along Madelyn's cheek.

"What you do to warren is suppose to make me happy?! He doesn't deserve this."

"No one is a saint my dear. He had his chance. Now he's paying for his mistake."

"You don't care about me. You just want her and the rest of them. The originals. You just want to perform your sick depraved experiments on them! You're just using me to..."

She is cut short when sinister leans in, placing a kiss on her lips. She stops, stunned at sinisters actions. This from the man that considered himself her father? He was sicker then she had thought. She wanted to throw up in utter repulsion. So why did she stand there, not doing a thing? He proceeded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in close so that her hand could rest on his chest. His tongue extended into her mouth, exploring it, wanting more of her. She couldn't stop him. This was wrong she knew it was... Or was it? He wasn't related to her by blood. He created her. That didn't necessarily make him her father, did it? But she hated him. She despised him her entire life for making her. Why now could she not ouch him out? Why could she not stop him? Why did she want this so badly?

After a moment he pulled away, looking back into Madelyn's green eyes. She was speechless. Any prior fight now resolved with one action.

"You don't now how long I have wanted todo that Madelyn..." Sinister said breaking the silence.

"Nathan I..."

"Don't call me that. Never call me that Madelyn."

"Sinister..."

"Stop. I know what you're thinking Madelyn. It's not wrong. You're a grown woman. I'm a grown man."

"A sick sick bastard."

"Is that the type you fall for? Oh no wait. It's the weak ones. The ones you can control correct? The ones that you think will always have the upper hand. The boy scouts. Madelyn Pryor you need a man. No more petty boys wearing their spandex and working to save those who hate them. You need a man to tell you how it is. Not a boy for you to command. You are like me in so many ways Madelyn and I want you. Don't say a word. I want you to come to my chambers tonight. I'm leaving them unlocked. You will come and you will be mine. Is that understood?" Sinister asked looking down at her.

"And if I refuse?" She asks with a scowl.

Sinister smirked and began to walk away towards the exit. "You won't Madelyn. Don't fool yourself. I own you. I always have ever since I created you from that strand of Jean Grey's DNA. You may not believe it but that kiss, it proved it all. You will always be mine and no matter how many men you command and rule over you will always answer to me. Tata for now dear. I'll be seeing you."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: What Dreams Are Made Of.

He looked so tired, so weak, so weary. It almost broke her heart to see him this way. Broken, scared, the world on his shoulders. All she wanted to do was hold him, wrap him in her arms and tell him it would be ok. What she wouldn't give to touch him once more. To feel the warm embrace, the sensation of his skin against hers. She'd be satisfied to just hold his hand or even just place hers on his shoulder. But alas, those days were gone. Buried in a sorted past neither of them could ever hope to dig back through.  
Now she stood in the doorway of the infirmary, watching him lean over beside of bobby drake. His friend, his partner since the first days of the xmen. Now in the days near of the end, there Scott stood, molded by age and experience over a young naive boy. A boy whose only sin was the extremes he went to in order to get even just a smirk out of his teammates. He didn't deserve to be there. Neither of them did.  
How did they get here? Divided. Scared. Withering in a corner as Madelyn Pryor plots a million miles away. She couldn't help but feel this could have all been prevented. Maybe if she hadn't... Maybe if the Phoenix... What? Maybe if the Phoenix didn't pick them then what? They'd still be in San Francisco sure but there is no way things would be better. Humans would always hate them. No matter how many times they saved the world, mutants would never have been accepted. The Phoenix? It was a pitiful excuse to get rid of them. But here they stood, still breathing... Even if were with the assistance of a life support machine.  
The woman stood there a moment in silence; the only sound was that of Bobby's life support machine. She opened the boys mind, training herself, concentrating on his present thoughts. The dreams he had as he lay there, so close to death. If these were his last moments, she wanted to document these thoughts. These dreams were the boy's final legacy. They needed to be taken down. After minutes of probing and prodding, she was through. The visions were blurred and mixed at first but then after a second or two, they cleared. She could see vividly now bobby, lying with his head on the lap of Scott summers... The young one. She was confused at first but then looked more intensely at Bobby's eyes. They were those eyes. The ones of pure and utter happiness, trained not out at the beautiful surroundings of the dream like Scott's. No, bobby starred up at Scott. He was so... Real. She had never seen the boy so utterly happy. So utterly... Himself. Not cracking some joke or doing a stupid stunt for attention. In this moment, it all made sense to her. She recognized the gaze because it was the exact same one she used to give Scott. She could stare at him all day. Because she loved him, madly and so did bobby. She couldn't help but smile. The boy may be dying but just like in any situation, he still found a reason to smile. She had wished she could have done the same.  
"Emma," an echoed voice suddenly called out.  
"Emma," it said once more, this time louder. Was this a part of the dream? No. It came from outside.  
Emma quickly pulled out of the boys mind, snapping back into reality. The infirmary faded into view around her. She stood there, prettified in fear as Scott, her Scott (not the young one in the bed behind him), stood looking straight at her. She had no idea what to say. No idea what todo. All she could do was stand there, starring directly at him.  
"Emma? A-are you crying?" He suddenly asked gesturing to the woman's flushed face.  
Emma instinctively rubbed under her eyes. Sure enough, her black eye liner had smeared onto the tips of her fingers. She smiles as she glances down at the smear black smudges. "Heh I suppose I was." She then turned back up to Scott, not scared anymore. She slowly walked over to the man, her gaze training on the young boy lying in the bed, unconscious. The scene was even more gruesome up close. The boy's body was stained purple with bruises. His broken ribs stuck up in his chest, poking out against the skin. Worst of all was the tube. The one taped into his mouth, traveling down his throat and into his lungs and stomach to assist his breathing and food consumption. It was like something straight out of a horror movie.  
Emma stopped as she approached Scott, letting their bodies stand a little less than inch apart. His gaze was now fixed on bobby as well, not saying another word to Emma. The two stood in silences, both wanted to say something to the other but neither dared speak.  
"He loved you... Very much. Looked up to you a lot Scott. He doesn't blame you for what happened." Emma finally says. She was always the daring one in the relationship. But then again, she did not say this because she knew it was a condolence. Scott summers blamed himself for a lot of things, but this was not one of them. Emma did not know why she actually said it. But she knew what would follow.  
He grips the side of the bed, trying to tame himself, keep himself at bay. He didn't need to go off on Emma. He didn't need the drama associated with her anymore. But she knew good and well what cause this. "They're unstable." He slurred out through gritted teeth.  
"They're..." Emma started razing her finger; Emma talked with her hands much of the time without notice. Which is why she was surprised when she was cut short by Scott grabbing her had in the middle of her thought and clutching it tightly in his. It hurt. He was actually hurting her. Emma's heart began to race, as his face got closer to hers. She had never seen this before. Ever. This wasn't the sweet innocent boy she fell in love with. This was someone else. Something else. Maybe the Phoenix truly had changed the man.  
"They're out of control and you know it Emma. We both knew they'd do this eventually. They're clones. They expire. Worst of all, they were manufactured by our enemy. You need to..."  
"What Scott? Put them down?" She retorted coldly ripping her wrist from his grasp. "So what? They're just dogs now? They do something wrong in a time of stress and we kill them? Just like that?"  
"Emma I..."  
"Heh you'd like that wouldn't you? You can't get rid of your psycho ex girl friend so her clones will suffice. Who do you think you are? Those girls love you. They look up to you and from our reports phoebe assisted bobby."  
"And where is she now?!"  
"Where is angel? He must also be a murderer correct? I mean if we're going by Scott summers logic."  
The two stood, their bodies unknowingly touch as each starred intensely into the others eyes. Then Emma let out a sigh, letting the stress exit her body and backing up a little.  
"Celeste did this. Phoebe and Irma are both innocent. She's the one that should be punished. Not them. They're all good girls. She's just... Scott something's wrong. She's changed. I fear it may have something to do with her mind. I think... I think she's going insane."  
Scott did not say a word, worried to say anything offensive but Emma knew that look. He was holding something back.  
"You knew that though didn't you?"  
No reply.  
"You... You found something back in sublimes lab back then didn't you. Something about the girls Health."  
"I never wanted it to come to this Emma. I really didn't," Scott finally spoke, almost apologetically. "You loved them so much and they were just... We needed them. The cuckoos were a part of the team. But back at the lab... There was a video of past experiments with the procedures. Every version of the cuckoos started out fine but eventually through all the power and knowledge they gained... They went crazy. In many situations they killed the team working on them."  
"You kept this from me?" Emma asked baffled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"You loved them and I had hoped they bred out the side effects. Turns out they just prolonged the inevitable."  
"I...I..."  
"We have to find them. All of them. Before this happens again."  
Emma stood there, shocked. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. She felt nauseous like she was going to throw up right then and there. But then he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her face pressed up against the mans broad chest, perfectly nuzzling itself in. She was once again speechless.  
"Emma... I will never hurt those girls. But they need help. I promise we will get through this. Together. We always do. We just... We need to be on the same page. I know that's difficult after what happened between you and I but we're adults and I hope still friends. Good friends."  
This was her chance. If she was going to say anything she needed to say it now. Emma took a step back out of Scott's hug and looked him square in the face. She needed to do this now or it'd never get done. She took in a deep breathe and started.  
"Scott I actually need to..." Before she could finish, bobby gasped, his heart rate machine beeping like crazy and his eyes wide. He convulsed on the bed frantically, grabbing at his throat.  
"Shit," Scott yelled completely forgetting Emma. He placed his hand on Bobby's shoulder and looked down into the boy's eyes.  
"Bobby. Bobby. Calm down. Listen. I need you to relax," Scott said grabbing onto the tube that was taped into Bobby's mouth. Scott petted Bobby's hair slightly cooing "shhh shh."  
Tears trailed down the boys flushed red cheeks but then he stopped, laying flat and looking up at Scott. A trusting look, a calm one. Each stoke through his brown hair made him calmer. "Ok. I'm going to take this out now. It'll be fast. I promise buddy. Just try to relax and whatever you do, don't panic. It'll make it harder."  
Bobby nodded slightly. Then Scott let out a breath. He then yanked the tube out harshly, letting it trail out of the boy's mouth. Bobby coughed and hacked furiously as he gasped for air, sitting up in the bed.  
"Sorry. I know it's not fun but..." Bobby quickly wrapping his arms around the mans waist, burying his face into the black spandex uniform of the man. Scott's body tensed with the unexpected actions of the boy. Bobby only squeeze tighter, sobbing into the mans abdominal muscles. Scott then smiled slightly; bring his arms around Bobby's head. For once he didn't feel like the tyrant, the outcast, the revolutionary. He just felt like a man. A man who finally did something right. He was never very good at comforting. He never really had anyone to teach him. So when in doubt, he decided to tell the truth. He began to strike the boys hair once more realizing it was what had originally calmed him and repeated. "Shhh it's all right now. I've got you. You're going to be ok."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: One Last Time

Scott sat on the edges of his bed, he head hanging low and his mind rattling with thoughts. There were choices to be made. So many and so little time.  
The past few weeks had been hell; students went missing, others were hospitalized. Illyana had disappeared as if into thin air and hadn't been heard of since this entire ordeal had begun. Just when Scott had thought matters could not get worse, Madelyn made her move. An invitation had turned up in the very spot that he sat now. She had been here.  
Madelyn Pryor had come and gone. She could have done anything. She could've ended this easily. She could have slit all of their throats while they slept. No one would have known. She was clearly aware of her clear advantage. But a job done was never enough for her. Madelyn had always had a flare for the theatrical. It had often been her demise. But this time, it felt different.  
All she had left was a letter, entirely blank other then a date and time on the inside and the emblem of the hellfire club on the cover. The place all of this had started. The place that had lead to jeans death, Emma's demise, my sorrow, Madelyn's birth. It all started there. It seemed suitable that it should end there. The invitation was for exactly 3 hours from now. Scott had to make a choice and he had to make it fast. There no telling what she had planned. It was clearly a trap of some kind. But this could be his final chance to make this right. To finally end this once and for all. Would it... Would it finally be over? Or would she find a new way to torture him? To make him miserable for his mistake. A mistake he regretted every day of his life.  
He clutched the invitation tightly in his hand, thinking back to their final battle of New York. To pain in her eyes as she saw me there... With Jean. Her spawn. She felt so hurt... So betrayed. He had wanted to rush over to her in that moment, to comfort her, to tell her that he was truly sorry. But fate had other things in mind. Maybe if he had just stayed with her... Loved her like she deserved to be loved... Maybe they'd be happy. Maybe Jean would be alive. Maybe he wouldn't be sitting here, a terrorist among his closest friends, a murderer, a tyrant. And then a truly shocking and disturbing thought takes root in the recesses of his mind. What if Madelyn killing him would be doing everyone a favor?  
"Stop it!" A voice screamed out in pain. Scott looked up from the crinkled paper in his hand to the doorway from where the voice had originated. There stood Emma frost. A short but elegant black dress stretched over her slender build. The outfit was complete with a large diamond necklace and tall black heels. Scott just sat there for a moment, taking in the sight. He hadn't seen Emma in such a fashion since... Since their last dinner together. Back before all of this happened. Back when life was so much simpler. His visage turned to that of a soft smile as he reminisced on their old relationship. Back when they were young. Back when they were happy.  
"You're dressed... Nicely," he said with a small laugh under his breath. "You going out?"  
Emma blushed slightly and walked in, her heels clicking on the ground beneath. She came to sit next to the man who she had come to regard so highly over the past years. He was so handsome. Even now. Even after all of this, he still kept that spark in his mind. That spark of creativity, that spark of individuality she had seen in no one else like she had in him. Even now he thought of every possible way to save them. To save her.  
"I heard we were going out," she said softly, placing her hand on his.  
At the mention of the invitation from Madelyn Scott turned away from Emma, ripping his hand from hers.  
"I can't let you do that Emma. Not with her. I won't endanger you like I did her."  
"Endanger?" Emma questioned raising her blonde brow. "Darling, I don't know if you remember or not but I have been pretty reckless lately. I've been to jail. Didn't like it. So I broke out. My world ended and guess what: I got bored. There is nothing that Madelyn Pryor can do to me, nothing that will stand out from my regular dose of crazy. Besides someone's gotta keep you thinking with the correct appendage." She joked hoping it would relieve the tension. Her attempt failed miserably.  
Scott stood and angrily looked down at her. "No! I've lost everything Emma. I've lost Jean, the Professor, the Phoenix, my friends, my students. God damn it Emma I refuse to loose you too!"  
"I'm sorry Scott but I don't remember me giving you dominion over me. No you lost that when you broke up with me. When you smashed my skull in to get my power." Emma stood and got up to Scott, their bodies inches away from touching. "No. I'm going. You don't get to do this. You don't get to run off and die. You don't get to me a martyr. She doesn't deserve the satisfaction and I refuse to let her have it. I REFUSE TO LET HER HAVE YOU AGAIN!" Tears welled in Emma's eyes as she locked into the mans ruby red sunglasses. She could she his eyes vaguely behind them, opened wide, and filled with passion. Filled with regret for how things had come to this. The tears fell down Emma's cheeks, stained with a crimson red tone.  
Scott stood there, tall and stern like a solider. He was no solider, Emma thought to herself. He pretended to be strong, to stand tall and fight off all of his urges, to act holier than human. But his mind spoke different then his actions. Emma could hear him, fighting off every urge to kiss her and therefore give back into their relationship.  
Without warning, Emma leaned in, placing her lips on his and letting her body fall into his. He caught her, wrapping his arms around her slender, frail body. He never wanted to let her go again.  
In some way, Scott had always known whom he was supposed to be with. That Emma frost was his one and only. That she was the woman that he would always be with. The one woman that would never leave him, never betray... Memories of Namor flooded Scott's brain and his stomach turned slightly.  
He couldn't do this to himself, not again. He let go of Emma and stepped back, breaking the kiss. "So... You got a plan I take it?" Scott started again. Emma could hear Scott's every thought. Namor plagued his mind like a virus. She winced slightly but pushed the memories of her in-digression from her mind. Focusing on the mission at hand may have been Scott's coping mechanism but it was the necessary thing to do at the moment.  
"As a matter a fact I do," her British tainted voice, teeming with excitement. "And it requires you in a tux."

Outside in the main hub of the school, students had gathered together, all chattering loudly of the recent events.  
"You found what?!" Hank exclaimed as Jean and Laura stood side by side, both having a cringing look on their face. "Blood... A lot of it," Jean spoke. The words spilled out of her mouth like vomit. Her and Laura had gone looking for Phoebe the day before with little luck. The search had turned up inconclusive, with no sign of the red headed triplet or the winged mutant who had accompanied her.  
"What happened to them?!" Hank exclaimed confused. "Did you find anything? At all?"  
"It seemed like some kind of attack." Laura started.  
"A foe?"  
"An animal... Or something. A monster." Laura shuttered slightly. There was more to this then the evidence had led to. Something wasn't right here and she didn't believe that any human, mutant or inhuman would have been possible of the carnage that she had experienced... None except for her.  
"It's Madelyn Pryor!" Exclaim Eva bell.  
"She's picking us off one by one." Another student shouted.  
"No..." Jean began. "This was different. Madelyn Pryor is a monster but she's not... She's not capable of that."  
The students erupted once more in frantic conversation, many of them panicking.  
Kitty Pryde stood on one of the tables to get the students attention, at first asking for it nicely and then when her request was not met, screaming at the top of her lungs. It was then that the students stopped their conversing and turned to their teacher.  
"Look I know you're all scared. But their is nothing to fear. We have this all under control..."  
"Oh ya? Then where is Professor magik?"  
"What about Bobby and Scott?"  
"The missing students!"  
"Celeste!"  
The students all looked to each other in agreement at the step fords name. Each of them has had enough at this point. They were ready for war. They were ready for blood.  
Kitty didn't know how to respond as the students continued to shout questions from all corners of the room. Cyclops and Emma walked up behind her, both of them stepping up on the table with her.  
"SHUT UP!" Scott bellowed. The student's mouths zipped shut as they all looked up at their fearless leader in admiration. Surely he would have the answers.  
"Never once have I heard a group of super powered teens struck with more fear then all of you. You're xmen, damn it! Starts acting like it... Look the last weeks have been tuff. We've lost good students. I've let Madelyn rule over us and harass us relentlessly, well that stops tonight. I'm ending this... We're ending this. Tonight's not gonna be easy my xmen. Their will be trials unlike many of you have faced. There will be hardships. I will not force any of you all into this battle between Madelyn and I. So if there be any of you that wish to leave, Emma and I will escort you to safety before these events unfold. But know that if we stand together, as one, no evil, no matter how wicked, no matter how sinister, can tear us apart. We are xmen. So, any one heading home?"  
The crowd stayed silent and a grin came across Scott's face. He looked to Jean, who smiles back and held up her arms, crossed over each other, forming an X. Another students saw and caught on and another and another until every last student stood with an X in their arms and an X in their hearts. A chill washed over Scott as Emma and kitty placed their hands on either of his shoulders in support.  
"Well I guess the only thing left to say is: To me my xmen!"


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: End Game

Emma walked cautiously into the courtyard of the hellfire club. She could barely remember the last time she was here. It seemed a lifetime ago and perhaps it was in another life she had been here, a life of desperation, a life of despair and loneliness. The life of a woman that would do anything to feel needed. She swore to herself that when she left these hollow walls of this false castle, she would never stoop so low again. She would never resort to becoming the white queen. She would never step foot in their again... Oh how she did lie to herself.  
She moved foreword through the courtyard, looking up at the structure, examining its architecture. It's life. She felt as if she were seeing the club... Her castle... For the first time. Seeing it for what it really was; A place of death, of sorrow, of betrayal.  
She gripped onto Scott's arm tighter as a reflex, a shutter ringing throughout her body. She never would've come here. Not for anyone... Other then him. Her rock, her leader. Even now, about to face certain death, Scott remained standing tall and unaffected. Emotionless. Today he would have to make the hardest decision of his life. Today he would have to decide whether or not to end the wretched life of his wife.  
The two reached the front door and it opened, almost as if it had been watching them as they walked up the yard. As if it had known exactly when they would be here. The man who answered was old. He wore a three-piece suit and was short in stature. His body walked as if controlled like a puppet. The words droned out of his mouth like programming. "Mister summers, miss frost, the mistress has been expecting you. Right this way." The only things still alive were his eyes. They held Emma's gaze in their grasp for a moment as if pleading for help. Emma shrugged it off. The only person she was here for was Scott. If they won, the butler would suffer little extensive damage.  
He led the two down the hall and though a large double door into what Emma recalled being the grand dining room. Little had changed about the room. Before them stood a large wooden table and beyond that, a throne. The throne of Sebastian Shaw, the man who Emma had pledged herself to before Scott. She knew little more evil or vile then the man. He was no telepath but he had his ways to control you. More... Permanent ways.  
But today Sebastian's throne was not filled by the tyrannical King, but someone much much worse. The goblin queen. Madelyn Pryor. And beside her, sitting with such admiration in his eyes as he sat there rubbing his head on her leg was Alex summers. Scott's brother.  
Emma's eyes widened as she turned to Scott. He stood tall as did before. She could hear the anger in his thoughts. The feeling of betrayal. But it did not show. All that Emma could see were his hands, balled into tight fists.  
"Scott," Madelyn exclaimed happily standing up to greet her guests. She was enthusiastic. She knew how this was going to end. She was so sure of it. So sure she had already won. "You made it... And you brought the tramp. Heh wow the whole family's back together. Oh you remember Alex don't you?" Madelyn snapped her fingers and the blonde haired man got up, kissing her on the cheek and wrapping his arm around her side.  
"Hey bro." He shot his haughty smile over in Scott's direction, winking. He held Madelyn as if she were some trophy, some triumph. She was nothing of the sort. Scott almost felt sorry for him. But part of Scott was enraged. This was the second time Alex had been stupid enough to go against his wishes. To let that with have control over him. Alex was weak.  
Emma grabbed Scott's hand and unclenched it, intertwining their fingers together, her thumb softly stroking the back of his hand. Her attempt to comfort him.  
Scott felt his heart rate slow, the knot untangling in his stomach. Thank god he had brought her.  
"This has to end Madelyn. You've got to stop."  
"Me? I'm the villain here? Ha! That's rich. In the past few months you have managed to hand the avengers their ass, defy local law enforcement, start a mutant revolution and kill a man that was like a father to you... To many... And you sit there on your high horse and look down upon me, the wretch that you threw away, and tell me that I need to stop. Pray tell husband, what on earth have I done this time?"  
"You have Alex under your control. You maimed two of my students! You've been harassing us for weeks, using Celeste to put students in the infirmary."  
Madelyn's visage changed to that of a confused one. She walked forward, out of Alex's grasp as her mind went back over the last few weeks, trying to recount when she had done any of those acts.  
"Scott... I am sorry to disappoint but I don't have any idea what you're talking about. Do you actually believe that I would maim anyone? That's so... Messy. And the cuckoo? Are they those little triplets that resemble a woman who has been plowed more times then a Nebraskan cornfield? I've only seen them once... Years ago. They never were of any interest to me. As for Alex," Madelyn said turning to her prize. He smiled down at her lovingly, completely under her spell. She ran her hands through his golden locks gently. "He came to me with no trouble at all. You see, he got the smarts of the family. He knows what loyalty is. He knows how to play for the winning team. He knows right from wrong. Unlike you. You, who is still running in the same circles that he was when I met him. Still chasing after that... That... Cunt Jean grey. Even when you have someone perfect standing right next to you, literally."  
"Seems like what they say is true," Emma began. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm sure Jean would be so proud."  
"Oh shut it Emma." Madelyn said rolling her arms. "As if you even compare to either of us. I mean look at you, you are a failure. You had all of this and gave it up for what? For the fabulous life you have now? Running from the cops, hiding in an evil lair, being with the man you love everyday just to never be able to feel him again. Amazing choice."  
Scott let out an optic blast, knocking Madelyn back into the throne with force. Emma and Alex looked to Madelyn and then back to Scott. Alex ran towards the two with great moment. Scott looked to Emma quickly. "Get maddy!" He commanded. Emma just stood there, looking up at him. His rage screamed out of him. She had never seen him in such a state before. He was ready to do what was needed. He was ready to kill. "NOW!"  
Emma ran off to the throne while Scott stood his ground.  
Scott managed to dodge his brother's initial lung. It was then he saw the collar, securely fastened around Alex's neck, preventing him from any use of his mutant capabilities. The man turned quickly, throwing a punch Scott's way, Scott caught it easily. Alex's heart wasn't in this fight. He was sloppy. Maybe Scott could fix this. Maybe he could convince Alex to stop.  
"Alex. It's me. Scott. Your brother. Listen Madelyn is controlling you. You don't have to do this. Not to me." He pleaded.  
"I am her prince, her warrior..."  
"You're her dog!" Scott yelled angrily. His brother was deeply under her seduction. He didn't know how he would break it. Scott was distracted with this, so much so that he let his guard down. Alex kneed his brother in the gut, bringing him to his knees.  
"You are wrong brother. I have seen the light, the light of Selene's training, Madelyn's love and sinister science. Just as young warren has. Just as they all soon will."  
He pulled Scott's head back by tugging on the leaders short brown hair aggressively, just as they had done when they were little. "Face it Scott," Alex said staring down at his brothers bare next, Scott's Adam's apple bobbing up and down with fear. Alex smirked and in the blink of an eye, slapped an inhibitor collar around Scott's neck. The mans ruby red glasses dimmed and Alex took them off, throwing them to the other end of the room. He could see into his brothers brown eyes, filled with rich sweet fear. "You have already lost."

Snow drifted down outside of the weapon X facility that the students of Scott summers had called home. A few miles away, warren stood fiercely, the lights of the school in the distance gleaming I'm his red eyes. The weather was freezing... Much below in fact. Every urge in the boy's body screamed to shiver in that ridiculous costume that he was wearing. It was more bare skin then costume. But the serum N him kept him from shivering, from blinking. He wished nothing more then to be dressed as warm and complete as the hounds behind him, snarling and growling like animals. But he was no hound. He was their leader. He would lead these dogs into the school and slaughter his friends and fellow students. Slaughter them all where they stood.  
He stretched his bone wings out, shining them in the glow of the moon against the blackened night sky.  
"My oh my look at you," a voice rang out to his side. Warren did not move. He did not even turn to see who had said the words. He recognized the voice as clear as day. It had an undertone of phoebes sweet musical voice but was plastered over with a thick layer of sarcasm and brutality. Celeste.  
Walked up to the boy, her small platted skirt flapping in the wind. She grin as she traces his fingers over the gaps in the chest of warren outfit that revealed his bare red chest. She then looked up to his crimson red eyes, gleaming against a black canvas. She then felt up his bare muscular arm with the same sinister smile on her lips. "Warren Worthington, if I had known you had a leather fetish I would've gone for you sooner."  
No response.  
"Huh. Not as flirty as you were. Good. I hated that. Yknow what hun? I'm bored and you look like a lot of fun to have around soooooo..." She clicked a button on the device in her hand and the door to the school began to open. She raised her eyebrow and bit her lower lip seductively, turning and walking towards the school.  
"Entertain me."


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Into the Inferno

Jean ran quickly down the darkened hall of the new Xavier school as a loud alarm sounded throughout the compound. Behind her, one of Selene's hounds chased, jumping from wall to wall in pursuit of the red head.  
Jean turned the corner quickly, running through the double doors of the cafeteria and shutting them behind her. She quickly grabbed a metal sign, sliding into the door handles, successfully barricading herself inside the room. The door rumbled as the hound had thrown his body into it on the other side. Jean jumped back and let out a small Yelp.  
The hound banged up against the door again and again, trying desperately to breach the barricade. Jean stepped back slowly, not taking her eyes off of the door, trying to get a clear reading into the mans mind but something was stopping her. His thoughts were jumbled, unclear. He had a block, one that even she was not equity to take down.  
She could hear the psychic residue of screams in all directions. Her friends, her teammates, they were terrified. She had to do something. Had to stop this attack. But that sign wasn't going to hold for long and without her powers, she was not able to stop these... Monsters.  
The hound smashed against the door again, bending the sign even more. He was almost in. Jean ran into the kitchen, finding a crawl space between the stove and the wall. She stood there for a moment, wondering if this would conceal her but she had little choice in the matter. The door broke with a loud clamor and Jean ducked, taking refuge in the crawl space.  
For minutes she sat there, listening as the beast snarled and scampered about the room, it's razor sharp claw like weapons, scraping against the ground as it wandered. Soon it gave up in the cafeteria and ventured into the kitchen. There the hound checked every cabinet, every possible place that Jean could be. He knew she was there. He could feel her... Smell her. The feral man threw pots and pans around aimlessly in his search. He was determined to leave no stone unturned. Then he stopped, sniffing the air around him. He smelt something different now, something intoxicating, fear. The man sniffed about the room, each step leading him one step closer to Jean.  
Jean sat as quietly as possible, her hands cupped over her mouth in fear that Selene's morbid creation would be able to hear every breath she took. The man sniffed the stove, stepping closer and closer to the crawl space next to it. Jean could feel his presence growing close and closer. The man let out a deep growl, dragging his claws into the stove. He was ready to pounce. Jean took in a deep breath, ready for a fight.  
Just as the monster was about to turn the corner, he stopped, perking his head up into the air. He quickly sprinted off, leaving behind Jean.  
Confused, Jean looked around the corner, every part of her body shaking in utter fear. When she was certain that the hound had left she got up from her hiding spot, drifting warily into the cafeteria. It was empty.  
The alarm had ceased now, leaving the girl in an eerie silence, basked in the red glow of the back up generators lights. What was that thing that had almost attacked her? He had seemed human but his mind had been plagued with confusion, like an animal, so jumbled, so scared, so vicious. What had Madelyn done?  
Jean walked over to the cafeteria door, shutting it again. She had to stay here, safe. She had to think of a way to save her friends. She had been desperately trying to reach all of them since this all started but her messages wouldn't go through. She couldn't sense any of them. Not Scott, not Laura, not Bobby, no one. They were gone. Could it be that she was the last one left?... Or was someone blocking her telepathy?  
The clamor of a pan hitting the ground rang out behind her and she turned around quickly, seeing the saucer swiveling in the middle of the room. It soon came to a stop and the room grew silent once again.  
Jean stepped cautiously towards the pan, squatting down over it examine it more closely. How had this gotten here? She picked it up in her hand, looking into its reflective surface. Her eyes widened as she stared into it. At first she believed that her eyes hand fooled her but the sharp pain in her back confirmed her suspicion.  
Jean fell forward, screaming out in pain as the knife was removed from her back. Blood escaped her body quickly as she struggled to turn herself over to face her attacker. There over her stood Celeste, her messy blonde hair, falling into her face. A psychotic smile graced her face as she gripped the knife tightly in her hand.  
"What's the matter Jean?" Celeste questioned tilting her head sincerely. "Feeling a little betrayed? A little... Stabbed in the back? Pay backs a bitch ain't it?" Celeste wasted no time. She plunged the knife down toward jeans chest. Jean managed to pull herself together, using her telekinesis to stop the knife just inches away from her heart. She gritted her teeth tightly looking Celeste dead in the eye.  
"Look Celeste, now is really not the time for one of your famous psychotic breakdowns but if you want a reminder of who's better, who will win every time, let me remind you." Jean used her telekinesis to send the girl flying across the room.  
Celeste flew into the doors of the cafeteria, falling then to her knees. Jean got up, staggering over towards the deranged psychopath that lay before her. "I'll remind you who's the clone of the has been with awful fashion taste. I'll show you who the original is, the original host to the Phoenix, the original innocent schoolgirl. You know that outfit you're wearing? I invited it bitch."  
Celeste snarled angrily, rising from the ground. "You think you're so amazing don't you Jeanie? Well guess what... You're not. I could kill you with a thought."  
"Then do it," Jean responded fearlessly, standing tall.  
Celeste let out a scream of anger, running towards the girl full speed. She slashed through the air vigorously, trying to land a hit on Jean. Jean dodged every attack easily without fear in her heart. She saw each swipe before it happened, each poorly planned move.  
As the two moved down the row of tables, Jean peered into the girls mind. What she found shocked her. Jean stopped dodging and gripped her head. The pain from the backlash of Celeste's brain was more painful then any attack the girl could land. Celeste slashed the knife, across jeans cheek, staining its flawless surface with Crimson read blood. Jean whaled out in pain.  
"C... Celeste stop this. Your brain..." Jean pleaded.  
"Is so much more powerful then yours," the girl responded simply.  
"No. It's deteriorating. You're experiencing rampancy. You're dying!" Jean exclaimed. "You're genes are breaking down on an atomic level. Your brain tissue is wasting away. You're being written out of existence!"  
Celeste stood there for a moment, looking down into jeans eyes. She knew the truth. She knew that she had been dying this entire time. She knew that this day would come, that as a clone, she had her expiration date. "If I die knowing that you're no longer on the world I left behind Jean..." Celeste began, clutching the knife tightly. "... It'd be worth it."  
Celeste plunged the knife down, cutting into jeans chest. Jean let out a scream, louder then anything Celeste had ever heard in her life. It resonated into of her, filling her soul. It was then she realized this was no scream. It was a call to arms. It was a sign.  
Jeans body began to glow with a fiery passion, the warm light surrounding her. As the girl opened her eyes, a large burst of telekinetic energy was produced, sending everything surrounding Jean against the walls of the room.  
Celeste flew into the wall, hitting her head hard and falling to the ground, knocked out.  
The glow surrounding jeans body dimmed until it was no longer in existence. The girl peered down at her hands. Had she done that? Was she able to command such an extraordinary display of power?  
Jean stood quickly, her attention turning to Celeste who lay lifelessly on the floor. She was knocked out. Jean wouldn't be bothered with her anymore, at least not for now. She had to concern herself with the task at hand. With the block gone she could hear her friends... All of them. And they were in extreme pain.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Shadow of the Arcangel

Laura stood still with her back up against the wall of the hallway. Her hair was in a tangled mess and her eyes, darting from place to place, making sure that she had not been followed. Laura didn't know exactly what happened or how she lost Jean so quickly. One moment Jean had been right there next to her and the next she was gone, disappeared in thin air. Laura would've been worried about anyone else but she knew Jean and she felt sorry for anyone that was stupid enough to cross her.  
Laura stood, breathing heavily. She felt as if she had been running for hours. Adrenaline was pumping through the girl's veins, fueling her, driving her. Before their separation Laura and Jean had promised to get to the med bay in order to protect Scott and Bobby, who were defenseless against whatever inconceivable evil that Madelyn had sent upon them.  
Around the corner Laura heard a loud scream, one of pain and regret, one of fear. She knew the pitch well. She peaked slightly around the corner of the wall, making sure to not disclose herself to whoever was one the other side. There she saw Eva bell, bleeding profusely from her arm as a man attacked her. A man with razor sharp claws and walked on all fours like a feral beast. Laura was taken back by the sight at first. He was no mutant. He was a pawn. She could see it in his eyes, the uncertainty and the confusion. He was being played.  
She wanted to stop, to help Eva, but there just over the battle she saw it, the doors to the med bay. The place Scott lay injured. The place Bobby lay in a comatose state. She had to save them. She had to protect them.  
Eva threw up a time bubble, stopping the man in mid air as he lunged towards her. This was Laura's chance. She darted down the hall, past Eva and to the bay. She didn't stop for any reason, not even to acknowledge her injured teammate. She only had one person on her mind. Scott summers.  
Just as Laura was at the door, she was struck from behind, knocking down onto the ground. The girl grunted slightly, trying to pull herself up off of the ground but was pushed back down by the rubber sole of a boot on her back. She looked up at the door, desperately. She was so close. So close to him. She could almost smell him beyond the door. Smell... Laura's head began to swim as the air around her filled wit a familiar aroma. Cologne. Nothing like the disgusting stench of axe body spray most of the boys in the school used. No this scent was rich, masculine and musky but sweet at the same time.  
"No..." Laura whimpered as she recognized the scent. It was the scent of the man that stood with his foot on his back. She'd know it anywhere, the scent of warren.  
Laura pushed of the ground, furiously, knocking the mutant staggering back. The girl shot up to face her attacker. Her heart sunk as her suspicion had been confirmed. There, before her stood her teammate. Her angel... Only... Perverted. There he stood, cladded in a leather uniform with gaps in the suit the exposed his red torso. His bone frame wings stretched out wide, ready for attack. His eyes were red with a burning passion for death. This was no warren. This was no angel. This was a demon, a perverted byproduct of sinister. Laura could smell the man on warrens body as clear as day.  
She wanted to plead, to reason. But Laura had seen what the boy was capable of. What the archangel was capable of. She wouldn't let that be unleashed. Not here. Not when she had finally found her place.  
Laura claws protruded from her hands with a snikt and the girl assumed an attack stance. "Can't convince you not to do this can I pretty boy?"  
Warren answered with a low growl, slashing his wings into the walls above Laura's shoulders.  
"Didn't think so."  
Laura's claws cut through the air, straight for the boys shoulder. He let her hit him, letting the claws clave deep into his flesh. Blood poured out, its color stained black as night, Rotten. Warren smirked as if his pain was somehow amusing. Laura removed her claws and almost instantly, warrens shoulder healed.  
Laura glared at the shoulder with disdain. "Oh fu..."  
Before she could finish, warren struck her in the face, sending her back against the door. He stabbed his wings into the girl's shoulders, inducing a cry of pain. She smiled at her pain. The sound was intoxicating for the boy. He twisted the wings, tearing flesh, tearing bone. Tears ran down Laura cheeks. She stabbed and stabbed into the boys chest. He didn't seem to mind. Could he feel? Could he feel anything other then this sick sadistic pleasure?!  
Laura reached up quickly, jabbing her claws directly into warrens ew. The boy wince in pain, opening his mouth to scream but no sound came out. He staggered back, setting Laura free and clutching his eye socket as pure black blood dripped from his palms. He removed the hand and glared at Laura angrily. She watched in horror as the eye grow back. Slower then the rest of his body had but still faster then anything she had seen before.  
At least now she knew he felt more then just pleasure. He also felt rage. Warren glided swiftly, knocking into Laura and carrying her over to a wall. He struck her again and again and again until his hands became bloody. Then he let her fall to the ground. Her healing factor working over time to combat the attacks. She was holding back. She knew she was. But why? Why let herself be so humiliated by this monster? Was it because he was a friend? A teammate? Beautiful? Tortured?  
His wings stabbed into Laura relentlessly. He tore the girl toe shreds, ripping every piece of flesh from her body, spewing brain matter across the room. He refused to let up. He refused to stop. Refused to let the healing factor take hold. He was going to end her once and for all.  
"Hey dick head!" A voice called out. Eaten stopped and turned to the med bay doors where the voice originated. Almost instantly, he was struck back by a burst of red light. A burst of pure energy.  
In the doorway of the med bay stood a young, damaged, and exhausted Scott summers. He stood clutching the frame, hardly able to stand. "Hands off my girl," Scott coughed out.  
Warren gritted his teeth as he looked up at Scott angrily. His once pure white bone wings were stained with the blood of Laura. Of the one Scott loved. Warren screamed out in a furious rage, flying full speed into Scott. He knocked Scott into the far wall of the med bay, holding the boys hands down against the wall. He could have pinned his shoulders there as he had with Laura. He could have made Scott suffer. He wanted to. He wanted them all slaughtered. Ended. So why couldn't he just do it?  
Warren's wings stood ready, pointing at the boy in front of him. Scott refused to look weak regardless of how he felt, regardless of his state, he refused to back down from this fight. He stood tall and proud, his chin held high, ready for the vicious monster to end him. But warren just stood there, glaring and growling angrily. He shook his head back and forth slightly, his visage constantly changing, as if he were experiencing his own inner battle. Scott saw this. He was fighting what sinister had done to him.  
"Warren?" Scott asked hoping aid in the boys conflict. "Warren you can fight this. You can come back. You can stop."  
Warren winced and stared straight into the boys glasses in front of him, struggling to find his eyes among the ruby Quartz that shielded them.  
"I..." Warren struggled out. His voice horse and pained. "Lo...lo...ve. Lo...ve...d... Y...o...u."  
"Loved me?" Scott questioned confused. He could have sworn that just for a moment he saw the boy blush in embarrassment. Then he screamed angrily, reverting back to his monstrous stated. He stabbed Scott in the chest, releasing his grip on the boy's arms. Then he let Scott's body fall. Down to the ground.  
Scott wheezed out in pain, reaching for warren. But he was gone. He stepped on Scott's hand as his stood, watching the glow fade from his visor.  
"Scott?" A voice called out behind warren. Warren smiled and swiveled around to see Bobby, sitting up in the bed. He was dazed from his coma. It took him a moment to sit up, to look around.  
"No!" Scott wheezed out quietly but it was unheard by the boy. "Stop!"  
Warren walked slowly towards the bed. His wings spread wide, ready for the slaughter.  
Bobby sat up, looking around the room. He stopped when he laid his eyes on warren. They widened with fear as he saw the trail of blood behind the boy, the trail leading to Scott, who now lay near death on the floor. A shiver ran down Bobby's spine. He had never felt cold before but he finally knew how it felt. How it felt to have chills all over your body, to feel afraid. Bobby backed up, falling out of the bed and crawling back with every step warren took until he his the wall behind him. He was backed into a corner... Literally.  
Ice began to form over Bobby's body. It was patchy and unlike usual. He was nowhere near full strength. "Warren stop! Please!" Bobby screamed. "Help! Dammit help!" He desperately tried to shoot ice, to freeze the demon where he stood but nothing came out.  
Warren loomed over him, his fists clenched tightly. Warren had dreamed of this kill. He often remembered Bobby's annoying features, his stupid jokes and pranks, never again. Warren raised his wings to attack, aiming them done to Bobby. A bright light beginning to glow behind him, warm and inviting, a light of true passion. Warren felt it, not inside of him, not around him... Behind him. Confused, he turned to face the cause of the warmth. There before him stood Jean grey. A flame had engulfed her entire body causing it to glow brightly in the dark room. Her eyes were no longer the quirky green that the boy had come to know, but a fiery flame themselves. She smirked at the boy's transformation.  
"Heh cute. Warren... Take a nap." She spoke oddly. He voice had a certain rasp to it. One like none of them had heard before, one that did not belong to Jean. The red head snapped her fingers and the boy fell to the floor instantly.  
There his complexion returned to its normal pale state and his bone wings fell limp behind him. The girl's body drifted down from its hovering state and the fire that surrounded her body faded.  
Jean rushed over to Bobby's side, kneeling down to comfort him. He gripped onto her tightly, not daring to take his eyes off of Warren in fear he would spring up again.  
Jean petted the boy's head soothingly, holding him in her arms. "Sshhhhh. It's ok..." She said as she stroked his head.  
She peered into his mind, erasing the memory her of her powers from the boys mind. No one could know what happened here. She couldn't have her team doubting her. Not before she could grasp what power she held. No one could know the Phoenix lives.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The End

Emma ran as fast as her feet would take her towards Madelyn Pryor who lie, dazed on her thrown. Emma's body began to transform as she ran, every visible inch of her skin replacing itself with a diamond like substance. She punched the wall over Madelyn's right shoulder, inches away from the woman's face, leaving a large dent in the wall next to her.  
Madelyn jumped slightly out of shock at them turned her attention to her attacker. She wanted nothing more than to hemorrhage the woman's brain. To render her a brain dead vegetable incapable of ever receiving her ex husbands love. She could too. One stray impulse into Emma's brain and Madelyn's dreams could become a reality, but not now. Not while Emma was in her diamond for. It protected her from Madelyn's attacks.  
Madelyn pouted as she pried desperately, trying to reach inside Emma's shielded mind. "Boo you. No fun at all." She spoke, her voice ringing with the tone of a spoiled child whose wishes were not met.  
It sickened Emma to her core to be so close to Madelyn, to be so close to the personification of all things she had hated about Jean grey. Though she knew that to not be true. Deep down she preferred Madelyn Pryor to Jean grey. Madelyn was an evil vindictive bitch but at least she owned it. She knew who she was and let others know. Jean pretended to be their messiah, their savior in human form. An angel sent from the heavens to answer all of their prayers. When in all reality, she was no different from Madelyn herself.  
Emma wanted to feel hatred. She desperately yearned to feel a fit of rage in which she could unleash all of her fury on Madelyn. But she couldn't feel anything. All emotions were cut off to her in this form. As far as she was concerned now, Madelyn had been subdued.  
"It's over darling," Emma said blatantly.  
"Is it? Why don't you have a look at around at you're little boyfriend. At what has become of him."  
Emma turned to look upon Scott. There he stood, his hands forced behind his back by his younger brother who stood behind him with a triumphant smile on his face. Emma opened her mouth to question Scott; ask him why he did not retaliate. But she surmised that the answer was behind her. That Madelyn had pacified him into submission.  
"Let's play a game Emma. You have a choice. Let down that beautiful diamond form of yours and let me in. Let me destroy you and rip that pretty little porcelain brain of yours to bits and I let Scott live. I let Scott come back to sinister with me. I let him have a second chance at happiness with yours truly. He'll finally get to make me happy as my loyal and handsome husband. Ooooooor, and I like this one mind you, you try and attack me, I may even let you land a punch, and Scott dies. Alex gets to beat the ever-loving shit out of your fearless leader while I make him relive every vivid detail of loosing Jean, loosing you, loosing Charles. Then just when he cannot bare his misery any longer... I will squeeze that feeble minded brain of his until he can no longer stand it. So? What will it be... Darling?" Madelyn smirked at her use of Emma's word. She thought the taunt suited the moment perfectly.  
Emma stood staring at the man she once loved, memories of their happiest moments flooding into her mind. Then of their saddest, Their most regrettable, A montage of their relationship together from that fateful night at frost international to the Phoenix force debacle, As if a tribute to her fearless leader. Each image induced no emotional response out of the woman. Just a respect for the past that was. The future that could've been... But would not be.  
Emma turned and with one swift swipe, punched the demonic witch in straight in the nose. A crackle of bone erupted under her diamond plated first as the punch landed. Blood stained her knuckles as it gushed from the woman's nose in copious amounts. Madelyn whaled and griped her nose tightly.  
"That was... Unexpected," she coughed out in a wince of pain. "Wrong choice." Behind Herself, Emma could hear Scott's frantic screams of pain, of fear. As Alex repeatedly struck the brother. Emma knew the pain Scott experience was like none she had ever endured but she felt sound in the decision she had made.  
Once again Emma punched Madelyn, landing her fist in the telepaths gut. Madelyn pushed her back with a telekinetic force but it was not much. She got up, ready to face the white queen.  
Using her telekinetic abilities, she held Emma frozen in her place.  
"You honestly believe that you can win?! Even if you manage to kill me it will be too late. Even now I can feel him, withering away. What kind of sick bitch can let that happen to a man she loves?! A man she worships?! You're as sick as he is!"  
"You are the sick one you rampant clone!" Emma shouted through gritted teeth. She desperately tried to move but Madelyn was too powerful. Her hold was weakening with each passing moment but she was right. Soon Scott would be dead and there was no way to stop it unless she could stop Madelyn first.  
"You'll never win. As we speak you're stupid little xmen are being slaughtered by their angel. Soon enough you'll all be dead and those freaks from the past will be in test tubes in Sinister's lab. Then Alex and I will live in happiness as we dance on all of your graves. As we walk towards a better future! A future without yo..." Madelyn was interrupted but a bright light above her. Before she could question it, out of the light emerged Illyana Rasputin. Wasting no time, the blonde Russian plunged her soul sword through Madelyn's chest.  
Madelyn gasped, her mouth gaping open at the appearance of the teleporter. She had thought Illyana was taken care of. That she had succumbed to the Darkchilde. Madelyn felt herself slipping away, falling into a deep slate of sleep.  
"Dasvidaniya, bitch," Illyana whispered into Madelyn's ear and with that she passed out, sliding off of the blade of Illyana's sword.  
Emma's mouth gaped out of shock as she stared at the scene for a moment, her diamond form dissipating into her normal frail form. Illyana looked down to the ground, ready to explain her absence. What had happened in the week's prior? She opened her mouth to speak but was cut short.  
Illyana frowned as she felt Emma's arms wrap around her waist. Her body cringed, straightening out of discomfort. She put a finger on Emma's forehead and pushed the telepath back gently. "Thank you, no." She stated.  
Emma smiled awkwardly. "Yes um well... Thank you Illyana." The two stood in awkward silence a moment and then Emma started again. "Hey where have you..."  
"Scott," Illyana interrupted.  
Emma's eyes widened and she turned, running over to the two brothers, both lying lifelessly on the floor next to one another. She took Scott's head in her hands and shook it slightly, checking frantically to see if he was still alive. "Scott? Scott?!" She exclaimed wildly.  
The body sat, unresponsive. Then when all hope was almost lost, the man let out s cough. Emma let out a sigh of relief and smiled down at the man.  
Scott sat up and looked back up at the two women before him. Both of them smiled joyfully.  
"Not gonna get rid of me that easily lady's," he remarked playfully. Emma hugged him tightly, never wanting to let him go again. Scott laughed and looked up to Illyana. He motioned for her to come closer and join in on the victory. At first she refused, looking away coldly. Then with a devious look at one another, Emma and Scott got up. They walked over to the girl and hugged her tightly. She growled for a moment but then conceded, realizing that this was one battle that she was never going to win.  
"Next time I'm leaving you two to die at the hands of a psychotic bitch." She remarked.  
"Fine. I guess we'll just have to keep Emma in check then won't we," Scott said back with a smirk.  
Emma rolled her eyes and the three laughed.  
They didn't have much of a revolution as promised. They didn't even have many mutants on their sides these days. But that the end of the day, they had each other and maybe for now... That was enough.  
Emma and Scott pulled back from the hug, releasing Magik from their hold on her.  
"Probably should get little miss Pryor to shield," Emma said pointing back over her shoulder to the place where Illyana had bested Madelyn.  
Scott looked at her confused. "Where is she?"  
Emma and Magik looked back. Madelyn had vanished into thin air. Not a trace of her was left. Not even the blood stains on the thrown. Every piece of evidence suggesting that Madelyn Pryor had been there was erased.  
"Dammit," Emma snarled in anger. She clenched her hands into fists. Madelyn didn't deserve to get off. Not like this. Not after what she had done.  
"Stop," Scott scolded, placing his hand on her shoulder. "This isn't your fault Emma. She'll be back. And when she comes, we'll be ready. We'll get her if it's the last thing we do. We're xmen after all and we will never go down without a fight."


	22. Epilogue 1

Epilogue 1: Just... Dream

Young Scott summers lied in his bed, restless. He hadn't been able to sleep in the nights following the attack of Madelyn's troops. So much had happened. So much had changed. Laura had not spoken to him since the attacks... Which seemed somehow appropriate. He knew since the beginning that they would not last. Their destinies were different, unrelated. She would grow up to live in this world, this time, while he would one day be forced to go back to his own. Ending it now was probably best in the long run. But he felt as if he would always be haunted with the notion of what would have been... Could have been. Now, whatever it was, it won't be.  
Then there was warren. He seemed to have no memory of the month prior. Not even what had happened to Phoebe. He claims to not even remember bringing her out of the school. Jean checked and found nothing. Whatever had been there was wiped. He continued to recover, his wings struggling to grown back to their previous beauty. Though what had been between Jean and he would never heal. Like Laura she has distanced herself from the boy. Though her reasoning was more elusive then Laura's; she refused to speak on the matter, regarding her relationship with warren as never having existed.  
Scott was haunted by warren. He remembered the moment just before warren had gutted him. He said something that rattled around Scott's brain. That struck him. Warren said that he loved Scott. What did he mean? As a brother? As a leader? As... As more?  
It mattered little. Warren wouldn't even look in his direction now, still pretending that he was better, more superior then Scott. At least one thing had gone back to normal.  
"Scott?" A soft voice whispered quietly, as if asking if he were awake. Scott shot up in the bed, ready to fire. There he saw Bobby, standing timidly in the doorway, backing slightly at Scott's reaction. Immediately Scott calmed, letting out a breathe of relief.  
"Bobby..." He stated. Only Bobby. "Um... What is it? Is everything ok?"  
Bobby stood there for a moment and the frown, looking away out of embarrassment. "I can't sleep," he muttered.  
Scott cocked his head slightly, not knowing what to say. Tuff shit? He couldn't help in anyway. Unless...  
Scott shifted over on the bed, making room. Softly, he patted the bed and raised an eyebrow. Bobby perked up and smiled, rushing into the spot next to the boy quickly, worried that he would change his mind.  
Scott rolled his eyes beneath his glasses and laid down, going back into his thoughts. He was determined not to sleep. Not to let his guard down.  
After a moment, Bobby turned over on his side, scotching closer to Scott. Bobby tangled his leg into Scott's. He clutched onto the boys shirt and snuggled into his chest, spooning Scott's body.  
Scott grimaced at first, not understanding what to do or how to respond. He felt uncomfortable. He wanted to push the boy off of the bed. But then he looked down at Bobby, fast asleep. He seemed so at peace. He looked at though he felt safe here... With Scott.  
Scott then placed his arm around the boy and held him there. Maybe sleeping wasn't such a bad idea. After all, at least now if something attacked, he had back up.  
Scott's eyes closed reluctantly and he drifted off soundly, with Bobby in his arms.


	23. Epilogue 2

Epilogue 2: Phoebe

Phoebe lay, half of her limp body buried in the snow. She could feel herself drifting, fading into oblivion. She knew there was no hope left. She was as good as dead. She had given up crawling to safety a while ago. She had given up the hope of ever getting out of these woods, the hope of ever evading the danger at hand. Maybe there was no evading, no use in fighting.  
As an xmen, she was always taught to fight. To stand up for what she knew to be right. Because If she didn't, no one would. As a clone of Emma frost, she had been taught that the world was a cruel place. That no one would take you seriously being nice, that you had to be a bitch in order to earn respect. As a mutant, she learned that the world sucked. That it was full of hate. That no matter how many times she saved the world, no matter how many times she inspired a teen or saved a kitten from a tree, she would always be looked at as an outsider, a freak of nature.  
Phoebe was never a great xman. She loved too much to fight. She let her emotions get the best of her often. She had too much love in her heart to fight constantly. She had too much love in her heart to be in that position. Too much hope and stock in the state of mankind that they would one day get better. She never fit in.  
Now that she had time to think of it, she never made a great cuckoo either. Phoebe had never planned on growing up to replace her template, to become the new white queen. The position never intrigued the girl. Her heart held no desire to rule over other. Rather she wished to befriend others, to fall in love, to have a family, friends, a life. A normal life.  
Now she had none of that. She had no place to call her home. Her sisters had all run off on their own crazy adventures. The other xmen clearly hadn't even noticed hers or warrens disappearance. Why should they? All she was to them was another Emma. She'd never be known for anything more.  
As Phoebe lay, gazing up at the starry sky above her faint, pale bloody body, she had no one. She had nothing. Nothing but herself.  
In her final moments she recounted those she loved.  
Celeste. She was never the nice one of the group. If there was anyone most like Emma, it was she. Though, she had not always been the ruff, chaliced girl that she had become over the years. Phoebe recalled a much different Celeste. Before the Phoenix, before Sophie's death, before the truth of their origins had been revealed. Phoebe recalled a girl who desired nothing but the best for her sisters, the best for the xmen. She had always admired Emma. Acted as Emma's daughter. But she had a heart of gold. She debatably never lost that heart. After years and years of constant betrayal and death she was forced to become what she was now, a product of the xmen experience. But she never lost sight of protecting Phoebe or Irma. One thing Celeste swore she would never do was loose them.  
Irma had always wished to acquire knowledge. To become something more then just another clone of Emma frost. She wanted to be an individual, to be different, to be noticed. Celeste had always taken it as an offense. Phoebe surmised that Celeste's frustrations towards their sisters defiance was not out of meanness or hate. More out of love. Out of appreciation of what they were, what they had been through together. Out of fear that Irma would figure out that she had more to offer then the rest of them. That she would realize how brilliant and beautiful she was. That she would realize that she was one of a kind. Out of fear that Irma would leave them. Nevertheless Phoebe had admired her sister's individuality. She even dyed her hair red to be more individual just like Irma and her black hair.  
Lastly phoebes thoughts drifted to her spawn. She was always reluctant to use the word Celeste called Emma. She was always hesitant of referring to the woman as a mother. Not out of hatred of Emma or out of spite. It just felt odd to Phoebe to see what she would become, to see eventually her future self and refer to her as a mother. Not only that but Emma frost was no mother. She was a teacher, a leader, a strong and powerful woman, but Phoebe would shun to think that the woman possessed one maternal bone in her body. She had led more students to their deaths then ever thought possible. She was a ruthless, crass, uncaring woman who only cared about one thing: getting the job done. Phoebe had learned much from Emma frost: How to fight, how to kill, how to manipulate others to get what she wanted. But she was never taught basic things a woman must know like how to love. But somehow, she taught that to herself. Something her other two sisters had never even contemplated before.  
Phoebe never wanted to be a hero. She never wanted to save the world, never wanted to end it, she just wanted to exist. In these final moment Phoebe realized that all she had left was herself... And maybe that was enough.  
She was nearly gone now. A bright light began to come into focus over her head. It grew brighter and brighter as a roar accomplices it. The light came to blind the girl and the snarling roar, deafening her. She shut her eyes lightly, ready to drift off. Ready to let go. Then the light and roar dissipated into nothing.  
Snow crunched around the girl as she heard something slam shut above her head.  
"What the fuck, chase?!" A voice called out in outrage. "You just found her here?! And you didn't think to like check on her first?!"  
"Hey! It's freezing out here. You try being thrown from paradise to the tundra by a twelve year old girl!" A boys voice yelled back.  
"Sorry," a third voice sad shyly.  
"Screw sorry! I could've died."  
"Well this girl is dying. We gotta get her medical attention and fast!"  
"Where, Nico?! We are in the attic!"  
"Canada."  
"Same thing!"  
"Awh fuck. I hate to waist this but my hand is forced."  
The girl... Nico... Crouched down over phoebe, placing a hand over her wound.  
"Hea..."  
That was the last thing Phoebe could hear before she passed out completely.  
Maybe she hadn't been as alone as she believed. Maybe her story wasn't over. At least... Not yet.  
(To be continued?)


	24. Epilogue 3

Epilogue 3: Illuminati

Hank McCoy entered his study; exhausted after the long day he had just gone through. First Illyana had shown up at the school, completely unannounced, then... An incursion. He felt a piece of him fade every time he was forced to watch one of those worlds crumble. He felt the vexing events chipping away at his soul. Some days he wondered if there would soon be anything left to chip at.  
He hated taking part in what was happening. Hated to be burdened with the fate of worlds. But if he and the others didn't, who would. Who could possibly bare that kind of responsibility, that kind of horror, if not the smartest men on the planet?  
He let out a sigh as he pulled the door to a shut, the latch locking securely. He then commenced to his tasks. He was to read all that he could about the multiverse. Try and make sense of the events transpiring.  
But something caught his attention, something that glimmered in the corner of his eye. She looked over to his armchair and froze, shocked at the presence in the room.  
There sat Irma Stepford, reading one of Henry's journals that he had been keeping of the multiverse. She smiled, not bothering to look up at him.  
"That Illyana event must have spooked you today mister McCoy. I'm no theologist but God does not normally quiver if I'm not mistaken." She snarked. Her particular humor did not sit well with the Doctor.  
"I do not believe in the matter so I would not know. But I do believe in privacy which you have thoroughly invaded." He glared.  
Irma shut the book and looked the doctor in the eye.  
"I never took you for a liar McCoy. Tell me: does claiming to not believe in God make you feel more intelligent then others? Does it out you on a pedestal impossible for anyone to get to you on? Because I can sense a great amount of fear in you and I doubt that it has todo with Madelyn Pryor. This world has an expiration date. And that date is exactly 12 months from now. Peeking around your brain back at the school, I learned this. I also learned of your little club of misfit scientists and how you all are to put a stop to the inevitable end. I have learned enough to driver any normal woman insane. Right now I just have one last question for you Doctor."  
"And what might that be?" Hank snarled, carefully trying not to divulge anything more to the girl.  
She smirked cockily. "Where do I sign up?"


End file.
